Office Overcommitment: What You Should Know

The secret element to employee engagement is a passion for one's work. If you've worked with someone with a strong passion for their job, you've probably felt envious, rooted in a desire to have the same passion for your own career. Even if you liked what you were doing, it was not to the same extent. Only passion can motivate you to go the extra mile and make a difference.

However, when one's passion for one's job becomes extreme, the results are not so positive. Over-engagement can result in overcommitment.

Introducing: the Overcommitter

The Overcommitter is a unique species of a passionate worker who, much to the displeasure of everyone else, has an unhealthy obsession with vanity projects and personal agendas. This employee is an unusual combination of joyful collaborator and aggressive champion, with energy that crushes rivals' resolve and sensibility. 

Under the false pretence of the Overcomitter's passion, they set a trap for their colleagues. For example, the "passion player" will insist on pushing a project with obvious risks into the sky. However, such "passion" forces you to adopt their project as your own even though the voice inside you screams "Run!"

How can you recognise overcommitment before it traps you? The important HR competency at work here is relationship management. Improve your Relationship Management skills, and you'll be able to solve the problem efficiently, acting as a sound business partner while adhering to your strategic principles.

Identifying an overcommitter

Like any skill-building exercise, the first stage is learning to recognise the problem. Three dead giveaways will help you locate your Overcommitter:

1. A "value" valve that is fully open. Overcommitters tend to exaggerate the importance of their key interests. What they're focusing on may be significant to the organisation's overall effectiveness, but they see it as highly critical. Even when nothing adds up, their projects always "require" or "must have" something added. Rather than contributing to a shared objective, they always try to persuade others to adopt their mission. Please don't fall into their trap. As a good business partner, your mission is to assess all opportunities solely on their merits.

2. Then there are ultimatums. Overcommitters at the workplace try hard to get their way, persuading everyone to gain support. They throw temper tantrums whenever they fail and issue threats and ultimatums. Don't give in. Call their bluff and stand firm.  Giving in to the Overcommitters' demands derails a shared objective and removes the possibility of future collaboration. 

3. Throw a pity party. Workplace Overcommitters want you to recognise their passion. They seek colleagues who share their ideal worldview. But beware when coworkers disagree with them! They now want everybody to know how terribly they have been treated.

Nobody likes being told "no", but Overcommitters are adamant about accepting a "no," recovering, and moving on. When others fail to see things their way, you might get to experience a martyrdom drama. 

The most challenging aspect of working with Office Overcommitters is their sulking and immature statements. But don't join the whining. 

An HR professional who understands relationship management is wise enough not to be "guilted" into making ridiculous business decisions or agreeing to projects that do not line with the strategy.

The first phase toward fruitful negotiation with an overcommitter is identifying the issue. The next step is to muster the guts to analyse problems objectively without jeopardising relationships. Remember that it is not your fault if a relationship suffers from unreasonable office overcommitment. 

Source: SHRM