'Voluntold'.

One of the many joys of IT - especially when one is not a manager - is being volunteered for things on top of all the other things I have to do.

To me, it's a tell-tale sign of bad management when everything is considered a 'high priority' and suddenly there are close to 10 simultaneous things that have to be done.

Multi-tasking is something computers are programmed to do; not something humans are genetically predisposed to. Amazing to me how the 'higher-ups' seem to forget this.

But what's the answer you say? After all, it's one thing to bitch and complain about something, but it's quite another to you know, actually do something about it. As best as I can figure, it's a case of being honest and being diplomatic about what one can achieve and/or commit to.

Because at the end of the day, without those two things - what are you really there for?