Collaborative work is the time we spend working with and helping others. This includes email, phone calls and video chats. According to McKinsey, collaboration activities consume 42% of a knowledge worker's time, leaving less time for uninterrupted deeper work.

As we spend time on collaborative work, the tasks that require our focused work take longer to complete, causing our workdays to extend into the evening hours. This increase the burnout risk, especially of the helpful.

From when we were young, we learned that helping others is a virtue. But when we entered the business world, we soon discovered that being a helper at the office comes at a cost. 

High performers are often drawn away from their own work to help other employ...