I need coaching on how to handle a situation with my boss. I recently started a project I absolutely love that will bring value to the agency and has full support from the higher ups. In fact, one of them told me he is very excited about it. This project involves a live virtual program to be aired once a month. I wanted to air it twice a month but my boss told me she was concerned about my work load and to keep it at once a month.

One week later, I got an email from my boss asking me to be a reviewer for a project with another department. I participated in a similar project 2 yrs ago and it was very time consuming and is not related to my job or my goals. My boss wants me to do this and gave lots of reasons as to why I’m so good at it, blah, blah. I suspect she is asking so she can look good to the other department. I feel resentful that she told me “no” on something I wanted to do because of workload but one week later asks me to do a time consuming project. However, I want to handle this in a way that serves me.

C- Boss asks me to do project in another Dept.
T- This will be time consuming. She just told me she is concerned about my workload.
F- Resentful.
A- I confront her about what I see as a mixed message, i.e. “You told me my workload is too heavy to air my live program twice a week but now you are asking me to do a time consuming project.”
R- Boss becomes defensive, makes excuses , explains, etc. Our relationship is strained.

C- Boss asks me to do project in another Dept.
T- This will be time-consuming. She just told me she is concerned about my workload.
F- Resentful
A- I say nothing and agree to do the project in the other Dept
R- Our relationship is strained. She senses my resentment.

I suppose the answer is for me to change my thought about doing the other project but I don’t want to. Yet I don’t want the result of a strained relationship with my boss.

Is there another option? Thanks for your help.