In nearly every organisation I work with, I hear the same thing: "We need to do more with less." This pressure is felt at every level – leaders trying to stretch finite resources to meet infinite demands, and employees striving to deliver without burning out. Here, I'd like to offer two perspectives:

• A message for leaders, about making better strategic choices with limited time, money, and people.
• A message for teams and individuals, about navigating expectations and protecting quality and wellbeing.

It feels like it’s almost a weekly conversation now: it’s impossible to do more with less. People are taking too much on, being asked to do too much, and pushing themselves beyond their limits to get it all done – often at the expense of their wellbeing.

This week, I sat with someone now solely responsible for a function previously distributed across 30 people. Thirty. Post-restructure, she’s the only one left. It’s not realistic, manageable, fair, or enjoyable. And yet she’s still trying to do it all.

"You’ll adjust," they say. "Just work smarter."

I’m not so sure. She already looked broken, stressed, and defeated. And there’s no easy way out of that hole without leaders first recognising they dug it.

How do we end up here? It’s easy to blame restructures or change programmes. But the truth is, we often create these dynamics ourselves. As humans, we have a strong urge to:

• Follow instructions
• Get things done
• Demonstrate progress
• Please our boss
• Tick things off
• Work hard

We say "yes" more often than we should. Not because we’re careless, but because we’re conditioned to. It’s often rewarded. But that "can do" mindset can have lasting negative effects – on performance, motivation, and wellbeing.

If someone is constantly overworked and under-supported, the work suffers, bottlenecks form, and the business feels the ripple effects. It’s not sustainable.

We need to do fewer things – and do them better.

And if we really must do more, we need to shift our expectations. That’s where leaders come in.

The iron triangle: everything is possible, but not all at once

One of my favourite tools is the iron triangle of project management. It's simple, strategic, and it works.

The triangle has three fixed points: scope, time, and cost. You can lock in two. But never all three.

• Fixed scope + fixed cost? Time must be flexible.
• Fixed time + fixed cost? Scope must be flexible.
• Fixed scope + fixed time? Cost must be flexible.

The magic is in knowing which variable you can play with. It keeps you realistic, creative, and focused on outcomes, not just effort.

Too often, leaders try to fix all three. That creates pressure. It crushes innovation. It stops teams from adapting to new information. It burns people out.

The antidote: smarter conversations, better yeses

Leaders need to revisit their assumptions. But teams also need new language to push back productively.

Here’s a simple, powerful shift: move from "yes" or "no" to "yes, if" and "yes, when."

"No" is blunt. It can sound oppositional, even when it's necessary.

"Yes" is a commitment. It signals capacity, clarity, and confidence – whether or not that’s true.

But "yes, if" and "yes, when" open the door to better conversations:

Use "yes, if" when the variables are scope or cost:

• Yes, I can take on that project if a BA supports the programme I’m already running.
• Yes, I can present to the Board if there’s help crafting the deck.
• Yes, I can accommodate that budget cut if we adjust our deliverables.

Use "yes, when" when time is the variable:

• Yes, I can pull that report together when I’ve wrapped my current priorities.
• Yes, I can attend the offsite when I’ve dropped my kids at school.
• Yes, I can reduce team FTE when we’ve confirmed the work is covered elsewhere.

These phrases protect your boundaries, while showing commitment and clarity. They also help others prioritise – and think about what really matters.

The final word

It’s time we stopped glorifying "yes" as the ultimate sign of productivity. Let’s reframe it as a strategic act.

For leaders, that means working with your teams to make deliberate trade-offs. Everything is possible – but not all at once, and not without cost.

For teams, it means owning your yes. Use "yes, if" and "yes, when" to reduce pressure, build understanding, and focus on what matters most.

Quality matters. Wellbeing matters. Strategic clarity matters.

Let’s stop doing everything. Let’s start doing the right things well.
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Image credit - Getty Images