If there is one thing both managers and workers agree on, it is this: In order to encourage productivity, create an environment where people can reach or exceed goals, and avoid cases of work-related burnout, workloads must be managed.
Every industry copes with how to assign and manage work across teams and individuals efficiently. Successful workload management is the foundation of a smooth-running venture poised for meeting performance metrics and engendering growth. When workload management falls short, however, managers and employees alike replace confidence with feelings of overwhelm, and productivity is overshadowed by frustration or even fear.
This article addresses the challenges of managing workloads and offers:
Effective workload management can make or break an employee’s productivity and a company’s bottom line. The negative impact of overburdening individuals — whether C-suite executives, directors, managers, or frontline employees — can tank productivity and sabotage morale. Potential adverse effects of failing to manage workloads effectively include:
On the other hand, employing sound workload management techniques can reduce, if not eliminate, these negative effects. People who effectively manage their workloads and deliver results on time and within budget tend to feel powerful, competent, and successful. Success breeds success, so the more empowered every staff member feels, the more they will produce, the better the quality of what they produce, and the more likely the company as a whole will do.
Usually, effective workload management begins with a top-down approach. Unless and until the individuals assigning the work realize there is a problem — and take affirmative steps to address the problem — all the tips in the world to help employees work smarter and more efficiently won’t matter. It’s up to managers and team leaders to take the lead in workload management. As a manager, you can start with the following:
When it comes to how to manage the workload of employees, of course, management can’t solve all of the issues on their own. Each person needs to adopt the best practices to manage their workloads effectively. If you’re trying to find new ways to manage your workload, the following six tips will help:
While it’s essential to address how to reduce the workloads of employees, it is also important to look for ways to increase efficiencies, so current workloads are more manageable. Time management is one of the most valuable skills you can learn to make your professional and personal life easier. Simply stated, time management is nothing more than the process of thoughtfully controlling how you spend your time in and out of work.
Time management can be a lifesaver for several reasons:
To get started with time management, use a planner or calendar to track how you’re currently spending your time. You can track your time in 10-minute, 15-minute, 30-minute, or hour-long intervals. The idea is to create a fairly detailed record of how much time you spend on different activities. Be sure to write everything down, even when what you’re doing doesn’t feel very important.
For instance, if you spent 15 minutes looking for your car keys one morning, write that down. Or, if you usually wolf down lunch between 12:15 and 12:30 pm while sitting at your desk looking at emails, write that down too. Maybe your co-workers have gotten into the habit of leaning into your cubicle for little chats here and there. You want to write it all down. You’re bound to learn a few things about how you’re structuring (or neglecting to structure) your day. These realizations can help you change some behaviors and form new habits.
For example, if you see that you’re wasting a couple of hours a week looking for your car keys, you might want to put up a hook to hang your keys on by the front door. Or, if you never take a break at lunch but find that you’re getting tired in the early afternoon, you might want to get out from behind your desk and combine your lunch break with a brisk walk to clear your head and get your blood pumping and your muscles engaged.
And those impromptu chats that interrupt your workflow? They may be interfering with your productivity more than you realize. That’s not to say you should never hang out with your work friends, but if you’re spending so much time conversing with colleagues that your work is falling behind, that is something to notice and address.
Once you know how you’re currently spending your time, consider incorporating any of the following techniques to help you better manage your time:
Every person and organization can use a little outside help once in a while. If your company and employees are struggling with the hows and ifs of reducing workloads, need to help your staff and managers with burnout, are working through change management issues, or could benefit from leadership development training, LeggUP can help. We offer one-on-one professional coaching and several forms of affordable and sustainable company-wide inclusive digital coaching to help you and your team get back on track.
To learn more about how LeggUP’s coaching platform can help you empower your workforce, reach out to us for a chat and a free demo of what we have to offer.
September 6, 2022
Employee involvement can make or break your business. ✓ Discover what employee involvement is, the benefits, and how to create an employee involvement program!
August 12, 2022
How does executive coaching compare to an LMS in solving HR’s three objectives for 2023: upskilling managers, motivating disengaged employees, and improving retention?
July 26, 2022
Proper workload management can make or break an employee’s productivity and a company’s bottom line. ✓ This guide covers tips on managing workloads effectively.