How to Intervene When Your Team Has Too Much Work
Photo by Alex Kotliarskyi on Unsplash
What do you do when your team has received more work, but you don't have the staff to do it all? With the Great Resignation and a struggling economy, more and more team leaders face this question. Organisations are attempting to tighten up their financial statements in such an uncertain environment. They may not be willing to hire more people, yet they still need to implement new, innovative work. They need to do more with less.
Team leaders must navigate these tricky waters where they're under-resourced but overly in demand. There are approaches to getting the most crucial tasks done while staying sane. Here's how to manage a hefty workload until you can increase your headcount:
Be honest.
Even with the best time-management techniques, an overloaded department will not be able to complete everything. If you believe your team can continue cramming more and more into an already packed schedule, something has to give at some point. When you are honest, you can take proactive measures to adapt and adjust instead of reactive ones if anything was to go wrong.
Prioritise consciously.
To maintain optimal effectiveness, you'll want to choose where your team can reduce their time spent — or eliminate it — instead of that happening by default. Examine the initiatives and services provided by your department, and consider the yearly objectives. Make cutbacks from the lower priorities, so you may concentrate on the top ones according to where your team can contribute the most value and what is most crucial to the organisation.
Communicate priorities upward.
You won't just need to get alignment within your team; you'll also need to communicate with your boss. Discuss the subject with your management by outlining your top priorities and stating your position with authority. Being transparent from the beginning avoids misunderstandings and lowers the possibility of receiving a negative response after your team has already begun on the intended course of action.
Delegate externally.
When you've maxed out internally, another pressure release valve is to delegate to individuals outside your team. Consider whether your organisation has any shared services that could help with tasks like event planning, travel, design, communication, deck prep, etc., currently taking up the department's time. Wherever possible, delegate work.
Reset expectations with stakeholders.
It's crucial to inform all stakeholders of any changes to your department's priorities or level of customer service, so they are aware of any potential delays or cancellations of projects. Deferred projects or lengthier turnaround times won't please everyone. However, it's better to manage people's expectations upfront than to cope with their ire and disappointment later.
Request more staff.
Suppose your department's workload is up and will continue to have an elevated level, advocate for more headcount. It's unfair to your team to constantly feel behind and like they can't keep up — not because they're not trying hard but because there is too much work. Even if a new hire isn't in the cards right now, making a case early and often might put you at the top of the list when the budget does allow it.
Evaluate what your department needs, whether it's more team members to work on projects or more administrative support. It's one thing for the department to be understaffed during a short season. But perpetually having work overload is a recipe for burnout.
Finding yourself in a season where the work has increased, but your staff hasn't is uncomfortable, but you can manage it. Use the strategies above, and remember to take time to rest and recharge each week so that you and your team members can create a sustainable work schedule in a challenging work environment.