8 answers
Clarisa
Student
Yuma, Arizona
2
Questions
Asked
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Should you do more work than you are assigned to?
Not work that you are not qualified to do but extra work to help out the company. In your experience has that extra work paid off?
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8 answers
James Hanzel
Corrections and Security
236
Answers
Cape Coral, Florida
Updated
James’s Answer
Absolutely, the response is affirmative. Initially, it might appear to be a daunting task. I understand how challenging it can be to invest a tremendous amount of effort without receiving any additional compensation or acknowledgement. However, the more you distinguish yourself from your peers through your productivity, the more your supervisors will desire to promote and retain you. Once you achieve this, you'll have a stronger bargaining position when discussing promotions and salary increases. Keep a positive attitude. While it's great to receive compliments from others, your work ethic should not rely solely on this.
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity.
3767
Answers
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Hello Clarissa,
I've taken the liberty to consult Artificial Intelligence on this matter, but I find myself in disagreement with its conclusions. Let me explain why. If you put in a bit more effort for every dollar you earn, it could significantly bolster the company's strength. This extra effort won't go unnoticed by the management, who will surely appreciate it. However, the AI advised against doing more work than what's assigned to you.
The AI elaborated, "Although the idea of contributing more to the company by taking on extra work is appealing, it's crucial to remember your designated role and responsibilities. Overextending yourself can result in burnout, reduced productivity, and a loss of focus on your primary duties. Moreover, handling more work than you can manage may lead to errors and a drop in work quality, which could potentially damage the company instead of benefiting it."
It's advisable to be balanced in taking on extra work, ensuring you have the necessary authorization, even if additional compensation isn't involved. This approach reduces the risk of resentment and morale decline. The AI cautioned, "Undertaking extra work without appropriate authorization and compensation can lead to resentment and a drop in morale. It's essential to maintain open communication with your supervisor and the company about your workload and abilities, prioritizing your well-being and work quality."
The AI further advised, "If you're keen on assuming more responsibilities and contributing more to the company, it's crucial to discuss this with your supervisor and establish a clear plan. This could involve taking on extra tasks or projects that match your skills and expertise, or exploring new opportunities within the company."
Considering Macro-Economics, if everyone adopted this approach - without overdoing it to the point of burnout - it could potentially boost the purchasing power of the currency, possibly by about ten percent.
References:
1. "The Importance of Setting Boundaries at Work" by Dr. Travis Bradberry, Forbes, 2019.
2. "The Dangers of Overwork and How to Avoid Them" by Dr. Jenny Radesky, The New York Times, 2018.
3. "Managing Your Workload: Tips for Prioritizing and Delegating Tasks" by the American Psychological Association, APA, 2020.
May God Bless You,
James.
I've taken the liberty to consult Artificial Intelligence on this matter, but I find myself in disagreement with its conclusions. Let me explain why. If you put in a bit more effort for every dollar you earn, it could significantly bolster the company's strength. This extra effort won't go unnoticed by the management, who will surely appreciate it. However, the AI advised against doing more work than what's assigned to you.
The AI elaborated, "Although the idea of contributing more to the company by taking on extra work is appealing, it's crucial to remember your designated role and responsibilities. Overextending yourself can result in burnout, reduced productivity, and a loss of focus on your primary duties. Moreover, handling more work than you can manage may lead to errors and a drop in work quality, which could potentially damage the company instead of benefiting it."
It's advisable to be balanced in taking on extra work, ensuring you have the necessary authorization, even if additional compensation isn't involved. This approach reduces the risk of resentment and morale decline. The AI cautioned, "Undertaking extra work without appropriate authorization and compensation can lead to resentment and a drop in morale. It's essential to maintain open communication with your supervisor and the company about your workload and abilities, prioritizing your well-being and work quality."
The AI further advised, "If you're keen on assuming more responsibilities and contributing more to the company, it's crucial to discuss this with your supervisor and establish a clear plan. This could involve taking on extra tasks or projects that match your skills and expertise, or exploring new opportunities within the company."
Considering Macro-Economics, if everyone adopted this approach - without overdoing it to the point of burnout - it could potentially boost the purchasing power of the currency, possibly by about ten percent.
References:
1. "The Importance of Setting Boundaries at Work" by Dr. Travis Bradberry, Forbes, 2019.
2. "The Dangers of Overwork and How to Avoid Them" by Dr. Jenny Radesky, The New York Times, 2018.
3. "Managing Your Workload: Tips for Prioritizing and Delegating Tasks" by the American Psychological Association, APA, 2020.
May God Bless You,
James.
Suzanne Landry
private chef, culinary instructor, cookbook author, caterer
4
Answers
Bend, Oregon
Updated
Suzanne’s Answer
It pays off only if the owner recognizes you or if you have a good manager that likes to see his employees excel and get credit for their work. Some might want to steal the credit from their employees. If you aren't acknowledged for your extra work than you probably won't see a monetary reward. However, if you are gaining experience by doing extra to help the company out, that will later help you in other jobs, than no time is a waste. If it's just working harder without compensation.....eh...
Kelly H
11
Answers
Charleston, South Carolina
Updated
Kelly’s Answer
In my opinion, being proactive, or going above and beyond is rarely a bad thing. It just depends on your desired outcome, and also what type of extra work you have in mind (strategic, admin, keeping the kitchen clean, etc.).
If you're looking to 1. gain more mentorship, 2. possibly get noticed by colleagues/superiors, or 3. try to work on more projects, putting in more time and effort by doing things like researching ideas, competitive research, market research, etc., could pay off. If nothing else, you'd likely gain more experience and knowledge you can take with you as you advance.
If you're looking to help out the company work environment and/or to improve the quality of life (volunteering to be social chair/organize group activities, keeping the kitchen clean, etc.), this may not help in career advancement (depending on your career path) but may earn you some points with peers and good references later.
If you have the time and energy, I'd recommend giving it a try for a period of time to see what happens. If the response or outcome is positive, continue on. If the outcome is not what you were expecting or not desirable, you can choose to stop.
If you're looking to 1. gain more mentorship, 2. possibly get noticed by colleagues/superiors, or 3. try to work on more projects, putting in more time and effort by doing things like researching ideas, competitive research, market research, etc., could pay off. If nothing else, you'd likely gain more experience and knowledge you can take with you as you advance.
If you're looking to help out the company work environment and/or to improve the quality of life (volunteering to be social chair/organize group activities, keeping the kitchen clean, etc.), this may not help in career advancement (depending on your career path) but may earn you some points with peers and good references later.
If you have the time and energy, I'd recommend giving it a try for a period of time to see what happens. If the response or outcome is positive, continue on. If the outcome is not what you were expecting or not desirable, you can choose to stop.
Mario Perotti
Program Director Product Management
3
Answers
San Jose, California
Updated
Mario’s Answer
Finding projects or work that is a little out of your current job is helpful to expose you to different types of roles that exist at the company you work at. Really, when seeking out work that may be "more" than you usually do on the daily, try to seek out extra work that involves working with other people outside your team within the company. This way you get the opportunity to meet and collaborate with other folks outside your normal job and you get the experience to work on something that may not be your normal job.
Finding these types of "extra" work sometimes can be difficult because it is not like you can just go to your manager and say "can I do extra work outside my usually work" -- so it means that it would be great to meet people within the company to learn about potential extra work.
Another way this helps is if you really aren't liking your job or manager and you have met a lot of people at the company through "extra" work, you can explore new roles by talking to your company network of friends.
Finding these types of "extra" work sometimes can be difficult because it is not like you can just go to your manager and say "can I do extra work outside my usually work" -- so it means that it would be great to meet people within the company to learn about potential extra work.
Another way this helps is if you really aren't liking your job or manager and you have met a lot of people at the company through "extra" work, you can explore new roles by talking to your company network of friends.
Sasikumar Vishal
Strategy Management
2
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Sasikumar’s Answer
Absolutely! I've really put my heart and soul into assisting with strategic data analysis, which has been a huge help in planning strategies for the company's profitability. We've put these strategies into action and played a key role in building a multi-billion dollar business from scratch. It's been an amazing journey!
Sasikumar Vishal
Strategy Management
2
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Sasikumar’s Answer
Hi Clarissa,
Always strive to learn and discover new paths. This will undoubtedly broaden your horizons and elevate your thinking and approach to your upcoming tasks. It's a surefire way to enhance your work and make it more exciting. So, keep pushing boundaries and stay curious!
While working as a Dev Lead, I used to schedule additional time with my Business Managers to learn more about business, finances, etc… I chose mentors outside of my org to understand different aspects of the Uber organization. These helped in advancing my knowledge, perspective and accelerated the growth in my career to a great extend.
Please schedule a time with someone outside your work and try to understand what they do and why
Always strive to learn and discover new paths. This will undoubtedly broaden your horizons and elevate your thinking and approach to your upcoming tasks. It's a surefire way to enhance your work and make it more exciting. So, keep pushing boundaries and stay curious!
While working as a Dev Lead, I used to schedule additional time with my Business Managers to learn more about business, finances, etc… I chose mentors outside of my org to understand different aspects of the Uber organization. These helped in advancing my knowledge, perspective and accelerated the growth in my career to a great extend.
Sasikumar recommends the following next steps:
Hi Sasikumar, great advice on learning and discovering! Can you provide Clarisa with more insight or personal experience on doing extra work beyond what is required and how it pays off in that job or within a career?
Sharyn Grose, Admin
Chester Pennock
Consulting
3
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Chester’s Answer
Absolutely! I believe that going above and beyond pays off in a few ways:
- Even if stretching yourself only improves your skills or abilities by a small percentage, over time that growth will compound as small improvements add up over time. It also encourages a growth mindset and adaptability.
- Going above and beyond exposes you to new networks and content. You never know who is going to be the core sponsor / mentor that will transform your career - and stepping into opportunities outside of, or on top of, your current responsibilities is a great way to meet and build deep relationships with new people in your organization (and probably outside of it too). It is also a good way to get exposed to new topics / content that could be a newfound passion. For example, I volunteered to lead a research initiative on top of my normal job - it more than paid off by getting me exposed to senior leaders in my organization and building a network within my area of focus as we presented the research externally.
- Over time, you will be rewarded for the effort. Not every single effort to go above and beyond is rewarded - but over time your bosses and others will take notice of work ethic.
That said, I'd recommend thinking through a few lenses to determine when / where it makes sense to go above and beyond:
- Ensure that you're investing extra effort in something that matters to your boss or other leaders in your organization. Otherwise, you may grow frustrated when you're work isn't acknowledged. For example, I recently invested several hours more than was necessary into a presentation at work. When the time came to give the presentation, we barely referenced the materials - and my boss provided feedback that my time would have been better spent elsewhere. I'd suggest you identify the topics / projects / etc. that matter most to your boss and other leaders, and ensure your extra efforts is aligned to what matters (it's ok to ask your boss and other leaders what matters most to them).
- Consider the alignment of your extra effort to your own goals and development. Your extra effort will be most impactful when you are engaged and giving it your all - and you will benefit more from unlocking relationships in a field relevant to your own interests / career goals. Also consider the people involved in the extra work you are taking on - are they people with whom you want to deepen relationships? Are they known for supporting and sponsoring the people that work for them?
- Ensure you are delivering on the basics of your role before thinking about opportunities to go above and beyond. You won't get "credit" for going above and beyond in some areas if you aren't fulfilling your responsibilities in others. Make sure you are positioned for success in any additional work you take on before diving in.
Hope this helps!
- Even if stretching yourself only improves your skills or abilities by a small percentage, over time that growth will compound as small improvements add up over time. It also encourages a growth mindset and adaptability.
- Going above and beyond exposes you to new networks and content. You never know who is going to be the core sponsor / mentor that will transform your career - and stepping into opportunities outside of, or on top of, your current responsibilities is a great way to meet and build deep relationships with new people in your organization (and probably outside of it too). It is also a good way to get exposed to new topics / content that could be a newfound passion. For example, I volunteered to lead a research initiative on top of my normal job - it more than paid off by getting me exposed to senior leaders in my organization and building a network within my area of focus as we presented the research externally.
- Over time, you will be rewarded for the effort. Not every single effort to go above and beyond is rewarded - but over time your bosses and others will take notice of work ethic.
That said, I'd recommend thinking through a few lenses to determine when / where it makes sense to go above and beyond:
- Ensure that you're investing extra effort in something that matters to your boss or other leaders in your organization. Otherwise, you may grow frustrated when you're work isn't acknowledged. For example, I recently invested several hours more than was necessary into a presentation at work. When the time came to give the presentation, we barely referenced the materials - and my boss provided feedback that my time would have been better spent elsewhere. I'd suggest you identify the topics / projects / etc. that matter most to your boss and other leaders, and ensure your extra efforts is aligned to what matters (it's ok to ask your boss and other leaders what matters most to them).
- Consider the alignment of your extra effort to your own goals and development. Your extra effort will be most impactful when you are engaged and giving it your all - and you will benefit more from unlocking relationships in a field relevant to your own interests / career goals. Also consider the people involved in the extra work you are taking on - are they people with whom you want to deepen relationships? Are they known for supporting and sponsoring the people that work for them?
- Ensure you are delivering on the basics of your role before thinking about opportunities to go above and beyond. You won't get "credit" for going above and beyond in some areas if you aren't fulfilling your responsibilities in others. Make sure you are positioned for success in any additional work you take on before diving in.
Hope this helps!