Over delivering at work

[SpeedbirdSquawker]

I head up a team and on one of our deliverables, we're really good at. Our target is 30 and we're currently ahead of schedule. My manager isn't happy, however, and has made me feel shit for potentially delivering above target and has demanded we stick to target. It will cost us financially no more in delivery as this work is funded by an external partner. I also feel that reasons arent clear despite me asking for clarification. Is there any reason that my manager should be feeling this way?

If they were involved in setting the target or costing the work, it may reflect badly on their estimates.

If you are over delivering in one area and not others are you not balancing the work adequately? Are there gaps?

But also if you over deliver this year next year's target will be higher to match what you delivered.....OR they will argue you can manage with fewer people and make redundancies or restructure.

Thank you both. They're good explanations. My manager didn't really express why I should be overdelivering.

Previous managers have always been very enthusiastic and encouraging of over delivery which is causing conflict in my mind. My current manager is also almost angry that we're ahead of schedule (because we're so bloody good at it, that's why). He was just quite disparaging, I felt. It's made me want to cry.

I think it's that you are very good at one thing....which suggests not as good at other things. So you need to divert resources to those things where there are gaps.
Previous managers may have left for a reason.

And it is costing you more.
The external partner is paying to deliver to target.
If you can achieve target with less effort then you are taking resource from other areas to over deliver, which is costing more than the partner is paying for.

@FTPM1980 that would make sense. Thank you.

Yes, this! I'm so glad I came on here as I was buried in my own thoughts of how my manager couldn't be happy for me.

If you deliver ahead of target, the person paying will know you can do it faster than they have been quoted so will want to pay less next time (or even potentially a refund of some kind, depending on what line of work you are in).

I'm sorry you were treated like this. It sounds like you're doing a great job and deserve praise and to be valued. Your manager sounds horrible 🤗

The problem with over delivering in my area of work at least, is if you have a target of 30 and you deliver 100 this year, next year, your target will be 150. And next year, many factors may mean that's not possible, then you have a team who has under delivered quite significantly. Better to deliver say 40, and have a target of 50 next year.

Our target is set for the next few years at the same number.