Eager Beaver Syndrome

(Assuming More Responsibility Than You Can Handle)

By Rita Hess

Last March, Kirsten arrived in the USA and began working for a Seattle-based software development company. Smart, ambitious, and excited to be part of such a large organization, she quickly and confidently mastered her new job responsibilities. Soon her talent caught the attention of regional supervisor Lin Yan.

When Lin asked Kirsten to work with a team of other employees on a new product launch scheduled for October, she secretly wondered how she would juggle her family obligations, her current workload, and the added responsibilities with her already tight schedule. Nonetheless, she worried about appearing disrespectful or ungrateful if she declined the offer, so she quickly accepted. Kirsten suffers from what many Americans call Eager Beaver syndrome, a desire to please at all costs.

How do you know if you suffer from the same malady?

What can you do if you are in the midst of an Eager Beaver crisis?

Can you prevent the ailment from creating turmoil in your future?

Unmistakable signs. Eager Beavers (EB’s) have certain personality characteristics that set them apart from other dedicated, hard working employees. They secretly work evenings and weekends or take work home, but hide the fact from others. They are petrified of being reprimanded or fired for even the tiniest mistake. When asked to tackle an extra assignment or assume more responsibility, they are frightened about what will happen if they refuse. If these symptoms sound familiar, you may suffer from Eager Beaver syndrome.

Here is an even more definitive sign: EB’s tend to be perfectionists, driving themselves (and others) crazy because they are never quite satisfied with how work is done. Perfectionists sometimes fall behind schedule tending to infinite details. They seldom delegate work to others, believing that nobody can possibly do the work as well as they can. Even if an EB’s completes a special project satisfactorily, his/her other responsibilities may suffer irreparably due to neglect.

Need help now? If you suffer from the above symptoms and feel engulfed by Eager Beaver syndrome at this very moment, do not panic! There are steps you can take to alleviate the crisis and salvage your credibility, too.

• Explain the dilemma to your immediate supervisor. Believe it or not, our bosses want us to succeed because it casts a positive glow on their management skills. If you fail, they fail.
• Your manager may suggest that you delegate a portion of your workload to a co-worker and can offer suggestions about who is qualified to assist with certain details.
• Evaluate your overall situation and make a list of priorities for each day, week, and month for as long as it will take to get you back on track. These priority lists become mini-goals and you will derive a great sense of accomplishment by crossing them off as they are completed.
• After completing the special project or catching up your responsibilities, take time to evaluate what caused the problem to occur in the first place. Learn from the experience and vow not to let it happen again.
• Finally, never, ever, ever sacrifice your health or personal well being for the sake of a job or special project. Do not think you are invaluable or that the work simply cannot be completed without you. In reality, stress is hard on you physically and mentally, and can strain personal relationships as well.

In the future, do what Kirsten did when she felt suddenly overwhelmed at the prospect of taking on a special career project. She created an outline of her new assignment, breaking the job down into reasonable mini-steps that she could accomplish within certain timeframes and still complete her normal duties. Impressed with her foresight, Lin asked her to estimate when she would complete her contribution to the new launch. By scheduling extra days into her mini-step task outline to allow for unplanned interruptions, she knew that she would complete her responsibilities ahead of schedule if all went well.

Kirsten’s planning paid off. By referring to her plan, she knew what needed done each day and felt no last-minute deadline stress. In fact, she completed her tasks a week ahead of schedule and now uses the same strategies to balance her everyday workload.

Finally, do not forget your other option if faced with an assignment but anticipate trouble ahead: diplomatically saying "no" before the project begins. Politely thank your supervisor for the opportunity and explain your hesitancy to accept the challenge. The two of you may figure out a way for you to participate on a reduced scale or put some of your regular job duties on hold temporarily. If not, chances are good that your boss will respect your honesty and still consider you for other projects in the future.