One of the more challenging problems for me is the inability to say, "No," to requests. As a result, my schedule gets overloaded with additional work that someone else could or should perform. But I am turning things around by delegating more work to others who specialize in that area. The result is tasks need to be repeated, priorities change less often, time constraints become more reasonable, and reporting the status of a project is more accurate and occurs more often.

So if you find that you cannot complete your work, procrastinate, and rush around with nothing to show for your efforts, here is what you can do: Screen out the problems in which you do not want to get involved. Find the right person to take on that responsibility. (If you're nice, it is not given to another person who finds it hard to say, "No.") Share the responsibility. With time and practice, people will learn how to make their own decisions.