3 Reasons You’re Doing Too Much (and What to Do Instead)
September 4, 2025 | By David M. Wagner
I have been following way too much coverage about football in preparation for the NFL season, which starts today (Go Birds!).
I’ve noticed one theme that coaches and players keep bringing up: the importance of everyone on the team knowing their role.
That message stuck out to me recently when a (well-meaning) person stepped in to do my job.
Pro: The work got done, and in a timely fashion.
Cons: I felt like my time had been wasted. I felt the other person didn’t trust me to get things done. I missed out on learning from the experience of a new role.
And I’m less likely to put forward the same effort in the future.
Don’t get me wrong – I empathize with my collaborator. They wanted to make sure the task got done.
But what happens when you’re always taking on work yourself?
Chances are, it hurts you and your organization.
Reasons You Take On Too Much
You’re probably a doer. Reliable. Concerned with your organization’s success.
However, your commitment to your mission might lead you to:
Step in to take on work you’ve delegated to others, or that rightly belongs in someone else’s “lane”
Holding onto too many tasks that others could execute instead
Saying “yes” to more than you have capacity to handle (individually or as a team)
These might be effective approaches for getting things done - in the short term.
But consider the long-term consequences:
Burnout (for you). Mistrust in your team, leading to disengagement. Less time for important tasks, like long-term planning. Eventually, you’ll struggle to meet your commitments.
3 Things to Do Instead
Here are three techniques to stop taking on too much.
Be a better coach. If you are worried about someone’s comfort with a task, offer encouragement and support. Make yourself available if they have questions or struggle. Set clear expectations for them to communicate their progress so that you can both detect issues early and decide together when it’s time for your help.
Delegate more. Assign tasks to willing helpers. If the task is new to your delegee, invest more time in explaining goals, setting expectations, and suggesting approaches or resources. Then lean on the coaching tips above.
Say “no” more often. It is kinder to say “no” to something you don’t have the capacity to do well than to say “yes” to everything. Enforce reasonable boundaries around your (and/or your team’s) time and energy by changing the expectations around the scope, timing, and effort available to address asks.
You can’t do it all; neither can your team. If you set reasonable bounds on what’s expected, delegate, and coach delegees, you’ll spend less time fighting fires, avoid burnout, and build your team’s capacity. Ready to reclaim your time and need advice? Set a time to talk with me about how coaching or consulting can help.