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Struggling With Not Drowning
Dear Work Friend,
I began a new job a little under a year ago, and I really don’t have enough to do. I’ve let my supervisor know that I have bandwidth to take on more projects, and he’s done his best to give me some, but on many days, I find myself at a loss. When I’m working remotely, I use my time to walk the dogs, do laundry, run errands, etc., while still meeting and exceeding expectations for my role, but I don’t feel good about it or fulfilled.
My previous job was the opposite. There was always more work than I could complete, a sense of constantly putting out fires, doing just an adequate job on things. The burnout was real.
My husband tells me I should be grateful and quiet and take advantage of the free time I have, given that my first performance review was strong, and that my colleagues all seem to have a similar light workload. But I’m struggling! Should I begin looking for another position within the organization that might be more challenging and fulfilling? Should I bring up my concerns more strongly with my supervisor? Or should I learn to accept and take advantage of a light workload, a great team and generous benefits?
— Anonymous
Your husband is right. If you’re really so bored at work, surely there are some websites you could browse, high school acquaintances you could lightly stalk, arguments you could start on social media, short-form videos you could consume? Wouldn’t that give you a nice sense of fulfillment and accomplishment?
I’m kidding (sort of), but I do think your spouse is onto something. You’re meeting your obligations, fitting in with workplace culture, have asked your supervisor for more responsibility — and have received direct feedback that you’re doing a good job. Why are you so eager to make your life harder?
Yeah, it’s good to be a go-getter, and to pursue meaningful work. But my guess is that the problem is not that you’re “underutilized” so much as that you’ve lost sight of what “the right amount utilized” looks like. As you know, overwork is a direct route to burnout, and a strong organization and good manager will allocate tasks and determine workloads to avoid it.
