Are you buckling under the weight of an overwhelming workload? If so, you are not alone. We are living in a time of extreme overwork, and studies show that it has created a global crisis of burnout.
So, what do we do? Just buckle down and continue to work extended hours trying to tackle everything flying at us, even if we burn out in the process? Or is there a better way to navigate our extreme workloads?
As we prepare to turn the page onto 2023, I’d like to propose a new approach that will enable you to work smart, not hard. Here are three very practical techniques to negotiate your way through a crushing workload and focus on what is most important.
Speak Up
A simple first step is to speak up. Remember, time is not just an individual resource, it's a collective one. You and everybody you work with are all time-starved, and trying to move mountains with limited resources. So, be a Time Leader and make it comfortable, frequent and fluid to talk about time together and problem solve time dilemmas.
Of the many questions you can ask to make sure everyone is focused on the highest and best use of time, let’s start with the first 2 essential ones: Whenever you are being given a task or an ask that feels overwhelming and is more than you have the capacity for, ask 2 questions.
“What is the goal we are trying to achieve?”
And once you understand the goal and acknowledge its importance, you can ask,
“What’s the most efficient way for us to get to that goal?”
Suddenly you are a strategic thought partner to that person. You are positioned to work together to achieve the shared goal in the most efficient way possible, saving everyone time. That makes you a hero. Or, what I like to call a Time Leader.
Prioritize Looking Ahead
No matter how busy you get, how much is flying at you, never allow yourself to skip daily planning. When you don’t take a few minutes at the end of every day to step back, look at your schedule, update your to-do list and plan the next day, you will undoubtedly get caught up in unnecessary urgencies and redundancies. because you have no time to think strategically. Block and stick to a 15- 20 minutes at the end of every day where you stop, look, and Plan Tomorrow + the 2 days following. This will allow you to regroup and become as strategic as you can about what is the highest and best use of your time, and negotiate with people if you find things that are redundant, meetings where you have no value to add, and obsolete tasks. You will catch double booked meetings, see redundancies and anticipate what might derail you.
Leave Space and Grace
When managing overwhelming workloads, we tend to pack our days so tightly, that there is no room for anything to go wrong. Then, when the inevitable obstacles arise, there is no space to problem solve. If we are all just so busy doing, without any time to think there is a great deal of chaos. The busier we get, the more important it is to build in the space and grace to collaborate with your colleagues on the problems and processes that arise. Meet with your team at the end of each week for a 30 minute breather. As a group, evaluate how the week went, identify any processes that can be improved, and look at the week ahead to see what is coming up, what can wait, what can be streamlined and even cut completely to keep everyone focused on the highest and best use of your individual and collective time.
Time is a shared resource, so it is worthy of shared problem solving. In a situation of overwork, your greatest strength is collaborating with others and speaking up.
When you realize that time is a shared, important and finite resource you will be motivated to speak up, prioritize planning (every day), and leave space and grace to collaborate with your team. These tools woven into your everyday life will leave you more productive and feeling in control and satisfied with your work.