How many hours are you working on a workday? How many days during the week are you working? What about those who help run your business, do you know how many hours and days they are working? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you should find out. Work is good, but you can’t do good work if you don’t get a chance to recharge and unplug from work.
Negative Effects of an Unmanageable Workload
Knowing how much work you and others can handle is important to a satisfying work environment. While it’s hard to say no, the effects of not drawing a line in the sand are numerous. “Burn out” is a common phrase, but it is also a real thing. It can lead to employees taking more days off or sick days and those employees spending the free time that they do have to look for another job that has a more manageable workload. They also will suffer from lower confidence in the job that they are doing.
Factors That Create an Unmanageable Workload
The workload that people have to manage can get out of hand if we aren’t careful. There are a few pitfalls to be aware of, and it’s a good idea to have a conversation with your folks regularly to understand how they feel about their workload.
Technology
We love to blame technology for the fact that most people today work longer and harder than in the past. But if you compare work habits between the US and much of Europe, it’s clear that we’re making a very different choice about how we spend our time. While there’s the truth that technology has driven increased expectations and demands on people by making us accessible 24×7, every device still comes with an off button.
Technology is a two-edged sword that needs to be handled appropriately. Those in authority need to understand that just because an employee is reachable via technology doesn’t mean that you should make requests or collaborate 24/7. Just as important is the employee understanding that it is okay to be “off the clock” and that it can often wait until the next workday if there is any action to be done.
Related: Tips for Leading Remote Teams
Unrealistic Deadlines
Every relationship is co-created. If your manager is assigning unreasonable amounts of work with unrealistic deadlines, and you’re taking it on, then you’re both contributing to the situation. While it may not be easy to re-set expectations, there are effective ways to keep your workload in check.
While it is perceived as a good practice to never say no to your supervisor, if you are getting buried by projects and deadlines, then you aren’t doing yourself, your boss, or the business any favors. The person doing the work has the best idea of just how long it should take, and it is important to make sure that those who need to know are informed about the timeline needed.
Lack of Communication
If you need additional time or help on a project, it is best to speak with your supervisor as soon as you realize it. Likewise, if you are already swamped with tasks, it’s best to be honest with your boss when they give you more projects. And as the boss, you have to be aware of the amount of work you are putting on your employees. When they come to you with the above issues, listen to them, believe them, and then help them come to a workable solution.
Unclear Employee Role and Responsibilities
This is often the cause of workload issues for people. An employee should only be expected to do so much, as they only have so much time in the day. Likewise, they should be tasked with things they were hired for, and other tasks should go to other people or departments. If you are receiving tasks that are better addressed by different people, you need to say so. And bosses should be cognizant of who does what, and if they aren’t sure, they should ask to find the best solution for the project.
Five Easy Tips for Managing Your Workload
There are ways to help manage the workload that you have. Start implementing these in your workday and workweek and see if you don’t feel less stress and more enjoyment for your job.
Related: Goal Setting – Do Less, Impact More
Know Your Limits
How much is too much? Are you willing to work every evening and weekend, and if not what are your limits? The 9-5 job has become a rarity, but that doesn’t mean you have to work day, night, and weekend. Between the 40 hours and 80 hour work week, we all have a sweet spot. Find yours.
How to Figure out your Limit
We know 40 hours is the minimum, and it’s likely that you will rarely work that in a week. First, you need to figure out how many hours on average you are already working. Whatever that number is, start by subtracting five hours from that number. You’ll need to decide where those hours come from, but most likely they will come from weekend hours you put in, or late at night.
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Set Boundaries
If you have a family, chances are you like to get home in time for dinner. Maybe you’ll only work from home for two evenings per week instead of five. Take the weekends off with the exception of emergencies, and catch up on Sunday so you don’t start the week on Monday feeling behind. Once you know your goals, you can start to experiment.
Effective Ways to Set Boundaries
Look at when you are working, the days and times. Do those overlap with some family functions? If so, you should look at blocking off those family times to prevent working during those times. Talk with your family about the hours you are working to get their input and suggestions. Compromise will go a long way with family and with work.
Know When to Say No
Before saying yes to each new assignment, ask yourself how important it is, whether it can wait, and if there’s someone you can delegate to. If you still end up taking it on, be clear about what you’re saying no to – at work, or at home. We all have limited capacity. No one gets more than 24 hours in a day, and we all need to eat and sleep.
Strategies and Tips on How to Say No
One of the benefits of blocking off your calendar, especially for family things, means that you have legitimate excuses for why you can’t do things at certain times. Sorry, I’m already booked is a common answer, and it won’t seem like you are trying to weasel out of work.
Ask for Help
You’d be surprised how few people tell their manager when they’re overloaded, and how responsive your manager might be. Especially if you’re a high performer, the last thing the company wants is for you to burn out and leave. The cost of replacing an employee is high, and the cost of replacing a great employee can mean hiring two or more people to do the job.
How to Ask for Help
Understand that everyone needs help from time to time. And sometimes projects take longer than anticipated. Part of the communication that you have with your boss is being honest with them (and yourself) when a task is taking longer than planned. Knowing this, your boss may offer to take some work from you to provide you the room you need to keep up with the rest on your plate.
Related: Conquering Negative Self-Talk
Prioritize Rigorously
A brilliant strategy is to keep a list of everything you’re being asked to do and would like to do. Some projects just have to wait until there’s more money or resources, and others simply won’t get done this year. Work categorized “below the line” is important but not scheduled. If your manager wants to move something above the line, see if you can deprioritize something else. If nothing on the list can’t move down, ask for the time, money, or resources you need to take on more.
Tips for Prioritizing Your Workload
Perhaps the best way to prioritize your workload is to take a page from a past president of the United States: Dwight Eisenhower. Utilize the Eisenhower matrix on your tasks to determine which comes first, what is optional, and what should either be delegated or eliminated. In this way, you prioritize the tasks that are both urgent and important, and the others fall into place.
Getting Your Workload Under Control to Enable A Satisfying Workspace
Like a balloon will pop if you keep adding air, realistically there’s only so much you can get done with fixed resources. While saying yes may feel right at the moment, your manager will respect you for being realistic and asking for what you need to deliver successfully.
Not only will you have a better working life and less stress, but your employer will not have to worry that you’ll jump ship and they will experience less sick days being used because of employee overload.
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