🙋 We all know that person at work — the one who never turns down a request, always volunteers for extra projects, and keeps everything running smoothly. They’re admired, appreciated, and seemingly indispensable. But beneath this surface success lies a troubling pattern that career researchers are increasingly documenting, Forbes reports. The very helpfulness that makes an exemplary employee might be hindering their professional advancement.

It turns out that being the go-to person is rewarding only if you’re an altruist. Being the person managers think of when urgent projects arise and the colleague whose willingness to help everyone is genuinely appreciated creates an unbalanced ecosystem that can lead to employees taking on more than their fair share of work. The very behaviors that earn them praise in reviews can also create invisible barriers to career advancement.

Psychologists refer to it as the competence trap. Besides being overwhelmed by taking on more than their fair share of work, professionals who are “too generous with their time” become defined by their helpfulness. “Colleagues begin to see you as the helper rather than the leader. Managers may rely on you for execution but overlook you for strategy,” according to the outlet. “When you say yes to everything, others may assume you have no priorities of your own. They may unconsciously view your time as less valuable.”

Over months and years, these patterns materialize into informal job descriptions that exist nowhere on paper, but everywhere in practice — with little to show in return. This dynamic creates an unbalanced ecosystem where some employees consistently absorb more than their fair share of work. Research from the Center for Creative Leadership shows that while employees who take on extra duties often receive positive performance feedback, they also tend to experience slower career growth and less time for their core responsibilities.

This phenomenon doesn’t affect everyone equally. Studies consistently show that women face disproportionate pressure to take on supportive, behind-the-scenes work that researchers call "organizational citizenship behaviors.” These tasks rarely appear in formal job descriptions, but are essential to keeping a workplace running smoothly: coordinating team activities, mentoring newcomers, and filling gaps in projects.

The motivations run deeper than just people pleasing. Many professionals — especially women — worry that refusing extra tasks will make them seem uncommitted or hard to work with. In competitive environments, the fear of being perceived as less dedicated can drive people to take on workloads they can’t sustain.

The solution isn’t to stop being helpful. Instead, learn to be strategic about your contributions. The most successful professionals understand that their effectiveness depends on focusing on high-impact tasks rather than accepting every request that comes their way. When someone is known for thoughtful decision-making about their commitments, their agreement to help carries more weight.

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