Line manager sends overwhelmed employee to career coach, coach then confronts manager about "unrealistic work expectations"

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  A mental health coach speaks to an employee with close attention.

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• My line manager told me to tell her when the workload assigned to me by her was "too much". So I complied in front or everyone.

  
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• The conflict also had nothing to do with the employee's inability to manage stress well or prioritize important tasks over others. Once he started meeting regularly with a coach, it did not take long for the impartial professional to put two and two together and conclude that the only person at fault here was the manager. It was not the employee's inability to find a proper work-life balance. It was his manager's inability to respect boundaries. 

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• We have all been in situations when we realize that we no longer possess the bandwidth to take on more responsibilities. For the type A workers out there, it can be challenging to admit that incorporating more tasks onto one's plate would be a bridge too far. After all, especially in a driven and intense workplace environment, the ability to handle more and more work is often considered a badge of honor.

  In 2026, we should know better than to subscribe to this outdated mentality. By taking on too many tasks, it becomes nearly impossible to get them all done well. Sure, maybe folks are willing to pull all-nighters and work themselves into a tizzy to meet certain deadlines. However, we all know that a lack of sleep and balance will often lead to poor quality. Research and lived experiences have shown this, so why is it still such an issue in the vast majority of industries? 

  I would like to venture a guess. I believe that if this story serves as an indication of anything, it's that management defines the culture at work. If management is uninterested in helping employees find a proper balance between work and their personal lives, then they should not pretend to be surprised when their employees express deep concern over their lack of healthy boundaries.

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  The employee lies on the couch as he speaks to the mental coach his manager set him up with at work.

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  The employee sits up and wipes away tears as he opens up to the coach.

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  A close-up of the employee wiping away his tears.

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