You’re Doing More Than You Signed Up For

How Project Managers Handle the Invisible Work That Threatens the Actual Work

Read Time: 5 minutes

You have a clear project.
You have a defined scope.
You have a timeline you are trying to protect.

And then it starts.

“Can you jump on this real quick?”
“This isn’t technically your project, but…”
“We just need your help for a day or two.”

Suddenly, your week is full of work you did not plan, and you are still expected to deliver what you originally committed to.

Let’s talk about the quiet chaos of side projects and shadow work, and how to manage it without letting your real work fall apart.

The Cost of Always Saying Yes

Helping out feels like the right thing to do.
And sometimes it is.

However, over time, untracked and unplanned work will burn you out and cause you to miss your actual delivery dates.

Here is what happens when being helpful turns into being overextended and undervalued:

• You become accountable without authority. You are asked to lead things without the title, team, or resources to do it right.

• You lose focus on your primary goals. Your project starts slipping, not because of your plan, but because of everyone else’s requests.

• You become the default problem solver. Once you help once, you become the go-to, even when others should be stepping up.

• You are praised for being helpful, not impactful. Your real results get overshadowed by your responsiveness.

How to Manage Shadow Work Without Sabotaging Yourself

Utilize these strategies to manage shadow work effectively without letting it compromise your priorities or diminish your impact:

✅ Track everything you are doing: If it's not in the plan but takes up your time, it belongs on a list—visibility matters.

✅ Push small requests into scheduled time blocks: Instead of saying yes on the spot, say, “I have space Wednesday afternoon to look at that.” That protects your flow.

✅ Ask what can be deprioritized: Say, “Happy to help. Should we shift timelines or reassign something to make space?” That forces clarity on trade-offs.

✅ Define your core responsibilities clearly: When asked to take on something new, say, “Just want to check/ Am I still leading X as the priority?” That centers your role.

A PM in our community shared how she was pulled into two side projects without notice. She created a weekly status summary that included every task she was doing across projects. Leadership immediately realized they had overallocated her and gave her a dedicated project analyst the next sprint.

Saying No Is Part of the Job

Being helpful is not the same as being effective.
You are not being difficult when you protect your focus.
You are being responsible.

Great project managers are clear about what they own.
And they do not let the work that matters get lost in the work that shows up.

You cannot lead the project if you are buried in distractions.
Protect your focus.
That is what gets results.

And that's how trust is built between the milestones.

👇 Your Turn

Have you had to lead when someone above you was unclear or missing?

👉 Share your story in the comments below or respond to this email.

You might be featured in an upcoming spotlight!