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One day my manager asks me to come to her office. She closes the door and tells me,
"The software deployment project is in trouble. We're behind on project milestones, and the HR team and the IT teams are both at odds with the project lead and the vendor says we're in real danger of delaying deployment if we don't get back on track right away....I'm going to need you to take over the project."
And I did…
The project got back on track.
The software deployment went live on time.
My manager came out smelling like a rose.
The failed project lead suffered no consequences.
And I... got a nice thank you email.
Here’s the Problem:
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You've become the designated fixer.
Sound familiar? You've become everyone's safety net. The person they call when someone else drops the ball.
And here's what happens:
People expect you to solve their problems (because you always do)
You get the stress, they get the credit
Your reliability becomes your cage
You're managing other people's consequences while they face none
Looking back at that software project, I should have asked myself:
"Why am I managing the consequences of someone else's poor performance while they get to keep their original assignment?"
The Strategic Evaluation Framework I Wish I'd Used:
Before I said "yes" to cleaning up that mess, here's what I should have done...
Step 1: Is this worth your time?
Will this project advance YOUR goals? (In my case: maybe, if I got credit)
Will you get visibility for the save? (I didn't - my manager did)
Is this showcasing skills you want to be known for? (Being the cleanup person? No.)
Step 2: If it IS worth it - Negotiate
What I should have said: "I can take this on. Here's what I'll need to deprioritize, and I'd like to discuss how this rescue will be recognized since it's going above and beyond my current role."
Step 3: If it's NOT worth it - Redirect
Or I could have said: "I'm at capacity with [specific projects]. Since [original project lead] created this situation, shouldn't they be the one to fix it? What support do they need to get back on track?"
The boundary you need to set:
Stop being their safety net!
Let people experience natural consequences
Your emergency is not automatically my emergency
How to train people to come to you BEFORE they drop the ball
This Week's Challenge:
Use the evaluation framework on your next cleanup request.
But here's the thing—this might feel scary at first.
If you've been the go-to cleanup person for months or years, suddenly evaluating requests instead of automatically saying yes is going to feel awkward. That's completely normal.
You don't have to transform overnight.
If a big project cleanup feels too intimidating to negotiate, start smaller. Practice on the everyday stuff first:
"Let me check my calendar and get back to you"
"I need to see where this fits with my current priorities"
"Can I think about this and circle back tomorrow?"
Buying yourself time to think isn't rude—it's strategic.
And if you do say no and it feels awkward? Good. That's what practice is for. The first few times you redirect work or negotiate terms, it's going to feel uncomfortable.
But you know what feels worse? Getting another "thank you" email while everyone else gets promoted.
Start with one small request this week. Don't automatically say yes. Pause. Evaluate. Then decide.
Your future self will thank you for it!
To your momentum,
Cassie
P.S. Every time someone writes to tell me they said no to a cleanup request, I do a little happy dance. You're not just changing your workload…you're changing your entire career trajectory. I'm rooting for you!