There are five other main reasons people give when I ask them, “Why do you take on more work than you have the capacity to do?” We are team players—“I don’t want to be the person who lets the team down.” We fear humiliation—“I don’t want to be criticized or fired.” Yes is easier to say than no—especially to the boss. Refusing a manager’s request can be risky in some cultures. We like new and shiny—It’s much more fun than doing the grunt work it takes to finish something complicated and unglamorous. We don’t realize how big the request is until we start working on it—“Oh, no problem. I
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