3 People Who Take Advantage of You at Work - The Muse

3 People Who Take Advantage of You at Work - The Muse3 People Who Take Advantage of You at WorkI bet you still remember your first day of work. You probably didnt know what to expect, but you knew one thing- you wanted to be a really good team player. And you knew that meant youd probably be taking on extra work whenever necessary. So, from day one, you set out to be the most helpful.Weve all been there. And yes, there are times when theres just so much going on, you need to chip in mora than you usually do. Thats great for a lot of reasons, and in a lot of cases, Id recommend it. However, there are also those times when you have a sneaking suspicion someones taking advantage of your helpfulness and simply passing his or her work on to you. Here are the three kinds of people who are always asking for help- and three simple responses thatll make those people think twice about dumping their work onto your plate. 1. The Im So Swamped- With More Fun Things PersonLets say someone on your team asks you to put together a big report shes responsible for because shes just swamped with a million other projects. And then that person goes out for a two-hour lunch break while youre deep into his PowerPoint. Thats ridiculous- yet elend that all uncommon if youve established yourself as someone whos happy to help a co-worker out. And yes, you might be really militrischer abschirmdienst the first time someone asks you to take care of something, only to turn around and spend the entire afternoon schmoozing with people in the kitchen. Thats understandable. But before you snap, take a deep breath and turn to your (packed) calendar. The ResponseRespond to the request with a simple email that says, Id love to help, but I have to take care of X, Y, and Z first. If my schedule clears up this week, Ill definitely let you know how I can pitch in. This short message can go a long way with a co-worker by reminding him or her that you also have a lot to get done in a limited amount of tim e- and that pitching in would be adding significantly mora to your plate. If you assume this persons somewhat lazy, and leid a monster, this helps in getting your point across.2. The Can You Just Take Care of This Complicated Task for Me? PersonConsider this scenario A more senior colleague has a masters degree in finance. But even though this person has decades of experience doing revenue projections and payroll management, he or she consistently sends you complicated Excel spreadsheets to take care of. If youre interested in doing this kind of work, that might sound great. The only problem? These tasks are way above your pay grade- and this guy doesnt seem to notice, or worse, care.In this case, you might try tackling these advanced projects because you think theyll impress your boss. And you might be right (unless you dont do a great job). But if this colleague of yours left you all alone to do these things, youll spend a stupid amount of time trying to figure out how to get it d one. The ResponseIf this happens to you, and you are open to learning the process- dont be afraid to respond with Id love to help, but since you have a lot of expertise, would you be willing to show me the ropes? While this task may be second nature to the person tossing it your way, its good to remind him that its not to you.And, if youre not at all interested in picking up that skill, you can say I unfortunately have no experience executing that type of task, so I dont think Id be the best person to help you with it. Its hard to argue with that line of reasoning. 3. The Hi, Have We Met Before? Can You Do Me a Quick Favor? PersonOn any team youll work on, there will be people who will take a vested interest in you as a person before they start asking for help. And when they ask for your assistance, itll be because youre a respected colleague with valuable insights and skills to share.But then there are those who ask you for help because they know you can do the task at hand. Im not suggesting that you should only help co-workers youre friendly with at the office, but its not a great feeling when you only hear from certain people when theyve got a huge deadline coming up. The ResponseIts obviously grating to have someone constantly ask you for favors without even asking how your day is going. And because its so annoying, its also natural to want to snap at that person. But, before you write that three-paragraph email to tell him or her to shove it, think about what you want from this relationship. Is it nothing? If so, use the email template from number one. But if you want to get to know this person because itll make your day-to-day job better, invite him or her to coffee. Its possible that he has no idea how hes coming off in emails- and its also possible you could become friends. The more you like each other, the less likely this person will try to pawn off his work on you. Or, the more likely youll be to want to jump in and help when you do have the time. Its a hypothetical win-win.You should be commended for having a natural instinct for helping people. However, that doesnt mean you should be taken advantage of just because youre so willing to go above and beyond. Use your judgment, and if you think someone is just being a little lazy about the tasks on his or her plate, feel free to take it as a compliment for a minute. After all, youre only being asked because its obvious youre sharp. But once youve let your ego bask in the glory, be an advocate for yourself and do whats in your own best interest. Photo of woman on phone courtesy of Shutterstock.