How to deal with an ever-increasing workload

I am a middle manager and the last year and a bit has seen a huge increase in my workload, which is to be expected, but I don’t see any sign of it decreasing as more remote and hybrid working means more checking in on people, etc. I feel my employer has just pivoted to online working without thinking through the resource issues. How should I raise these with them and the workload implications in a constructive way? I feel they don’t listen to those on the ground.

Stressed man holds his hands to his face

 

As we look forward to the new era of work post Covid-19, it’s clear that our places of work are likely to become more fluid than they have ever been before. As businesses continue to adapt to new ways of working and trial the hybrid model, it’s important to have an appreciation of what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Reflect upon whether this is a value add, or is it something that you’ve always done?

I’d recommend having an open and honest conversation with your line manager, which is a good way to get attention and show how important this is to you as an employee on the ground. Before you have the conversation, prioritise what’s important to you and what will add value to the business. Also think around those things that help you develop and things that help you ‘appreciate as an asset’.

If you have direct reports, I’d encourage you to have the same conversation with them to see what they can stop doing, start doing and continue doing. Encourage them to delegate down so they can upskill their direct reports; this will help decrease your workload. It’s around finding out what your direct reports like doing, what motivates them and allowing them to work on that basis. Also ask them what they need to make the change and be ready to have the conversation with their boss around what would help them.

*Liz Sebag-Montefiore is a career coach and Director of 10Eighty, a strengths-based HR consultancy. For more information, please visit www.10Eighty.co.uk.



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