When to Say Yes

Even though in my prior blog post I encouraged you to say no, here I am going to encourage you to say yes, but only when it serves you.

You will be offered many opportunities to assist others, and whilst you may want to help every last one of them you probably don’t have the time to do it all. Therefore, you will have to carefully select which ones you do. I want you to consider what you will get out of performing the task, and if the scales weigh towards the beneficial you should say yes if you are able. Especially if you are concerned about the task as it will provide you will an opportunity to grow and develop.

Here are some questions to think about:

1.       Have you done this thing before? If yes, is there a good reason to repeat it?

2.       How long will the task take? How many steps does it involve? Are there any steps which may cause a delay?

3.       Is it well conceived and planned out?

4.       Is this a new task which you can learn from? Is there someone you can shadow or get advice from if it is completely out of your comfort zone?

5.       Is there someone else who is able to do this task if you don’t?

6.       Is there a reward for completing the task?

7.       Is the task something that can go on your CV or resume? Will it get you another referee or LinkedIn recommendation?

8.       Will this task expose you to new people?

If you feel that the benefits outweigh the negatives then you are on your way to agreeing to perform the task. However, before you do you still need to consider what tasks you are already committed to. Will this task take away valuable time that is already earmarked for something else? Which tasks are the priorities and can you shuffle things around to make it work? Remember that this task may be important to someone else, but that doesn’t make it a priority for you. I always love signs that say some version of “poor planning on your part doesn’t make your emergency mine.” That is an important thing to remember. They are trying to pressure you into helping them out when with a little more planning and preparation this task could have been more leisurely performed and possibly to a much higher standard. You also want to ensure that if you jump in to help that they are not just lining you up to take the fall for a lackadaisical product.

You need to consider what you want your brand to be. If that is as someone who is reliable, performs well and completes tasks on budget and on time, then agreeing to take on more may put your brand at risk. On the other hand, if you have the bandwidth to do it, and you can learn something from the task it may be worth agreeing to. Before I had my son, I often agreed to doing more things because I would just go home later. However, that is not sustainable and leads others to assume that you are always available and willing to do more. Whilst that may help your reliable brand, you also need to ensure that people respect your time. If you are staying late to do something for others it won’t make you feel good if they always leave before you. Then it might be time for them to perform their own tasks and for you to leave for the day!

I have often found that the tasks I am most worried about have led to the most personal growth and have often opened the door to other opportunities. Therefore, just because you are concerned about doing something it might be worth it to challenge yourself. You may develop your abilities and brand in ways you never expected.