There might actually be something you can do about your unrelenting workload
Photo by Luis Pimenttel:
TL/DR:
You cannot absorb unlimited work
Your manager likely doesn’t know you’re overloaded
You can’t outwork a workload problem
Capacity conversations work when framed around priorities
The Whole Shebang:
Story time! Let’s take a trip down (my) memory lane, to peak-pandemic times.
(Not a time you’re keen on revisiting? I get it, but stay with me.)
Anyway, I was coaching a woman who was working at a very fast growing tech company; one for which remote work was a boon for their product.
Let’s call her Sarah (not her real name).
Sarah’s company was growing so fast that hiring couldn’t keep up and Sarah was suffering. Her little team of 2 had gone from working regular 40 hour work weeks, to regularly working until 11pm, every night, just to keep up with the increasing workload.
Sarah was stretched thin, on the edge of burn out, and let’s not forget she had a baby and a toddler at home, and no childcare.
Because: pandemic.
When we started talking through her options she was feeling demoralized.
It seemed to her like her only options were to keep working at the break-neck pace she was taking on, with no end in sight, or to talk to her manager about the excess workload.
She didn't feel good about either.
She worried her manager would think she wasn’t doing a good job.
She worried about getting fired by rocking the boat.
Everyone was in the same boat, after all.
But eventually, with a little encouragement, she decided the better option was to at least open the conversation with her manager.
She couldn’t keep working 16 hours a day.
So she mustered up the courage, we did a little role-play, and then she scheduled the meeting.
In our next session, I was eager to hear the results of her conversation.
And honestly, it couldn’t have gone better.
She was SHOCKED. In a good way.
Her manager had told her:
“Thank you for letting me know; now that I know you’re over capacity, I have the ammo I need to get more headcount. If I don’t know there’s an issue, I can’t advocate for it. So thank you.”
And, what do you know?
2 weeks later my client’s team had doubled and she was back to working a 40 hour workweek.
And she was still in everyone's good graces, including her own.
The moral of this story: You can’t absorb forever. You’ll explode.
Even the most efficient person on earth has a max capacity.
Think of it this way:
A sponge can only absorb so much liquid. It has a max capacity. And it’s no longer useful when at capacity; it can’t absorb anything more. It just moves the mess around, creating more mess. You need to squeeze out some water before it works again.
A glass of water can only be filled to the top. After that, you can still pour the water in, but you’re going to spill all over the place, and then have a big mess to clean up.
You also have a max capacity.
And it’s NOT “work until it’s not physically possible to work more”.
That’s a recipe for burnout, or worse.
Because again, you’re not a magical sponge; you can't absorb forever.
Eventually you'll bust open or it'll ooze out and then what will you do?
You're delaying the inevitable (full burnout or rage quitting without a plan) while also experiencing stress and overwhelm.
How does this situation happen in the first place?
Well, it’s usually not because your boss is evil, or your company is (although, that could be true, we are living in late stage capitalism, after all).
In fact, studies show that managers are typically only aware of about 60% of what’s on their direct reports’ plates. Meaning, they often don’t even know you’re over capacity.
Unless you tell them.
They’ve got a lot on their plates too.
And really, most people are only thinking about themselves. (Not because they’re bad people but because they are simply people.)
They’re asking you to do stuff, and you’re saying yes, even when you have no room, because you don’t think there’s another option.
Just like Sarah.
It also can happen when you don’t set boundaries at the beginning of a new job.
Lots of folks spend the first few months at a new job over-performing, working late, proving their worth.
And then, around months 3-6, when you’ve proven yourself and your boss trusts you, you want to go back to a “normal” schedule.
The problem is that no one has experienced your “normal”. They only know the overperformance you’ve shown them.
So going back to “normal” can look like “slacking”. Uh oh; now you’re in a double bind.
So, what can do when you’re getting close to capacity, or already over it, needing to correct in the other direction?
Look, going to your boss and saying: “’I’m overworked and overwhelmed; help!” isn’t a good look. And it’s not likely to get you anywhere good.
But you can say the same thing in a way that makes you look smart and strategic.
And that also clearly communicates you can’t take on more.
To do so, you’ve got to shift the conversation from workload to priorities.
How?
I’m gonna give you a few go-to scripts that have worked for me, and for my clients. (And, yes, they worked for Sarah too.)
Scripts you can steal:
“Of course, happy to take that on. In order to do it, we’ll have to shift some priorities; what should we put on the backburner in order to take this on?”
“Of course, happy to. Given my current workload, I can get that into the queue to be done by [ruthlessly realistic timeline].”
“Of course, happy to. I’m currently focusing on priorities X, Y, Z; do you want this work to take precedence and shift these priorities?”
“I want to make sure we’re on the same page when it comes to priorities; here’s what I’m currently prioritizing and here’s what will come next. Do you agree with these priorities?” (Subtext: You can’t do it all right now.)
So, if you’re over capacity right now, feeling the squeeze, and not sure how to move forward, are you ready to schedule that conversation?
Or to pull out one of these scripts the next time you need it
And, if you have handy phrasing that’s worked well for you in the past, let me know so we can crowdsource what works.
Remember that studies show people working 70 hours a week aren’t any more productive than those working 70.
So, those extra hours are getting you nothing but stress.
There’s no time like the present to make a change for the better.
As they say, the best time to take action was yesterday, but the second best time is now.
When you’re ready, here are 3 ways we can work together:
Enroll in the Time Well Spent course
Bite-sized, shame-free steps to take control of your time, and your life. Built for real people with big lives, big jobs, or both. Learn more, or enroll here.
Get 1:1 Coaching
High-touch coaching for people managers, leaders, executives and founders who need a trusted partner to streamline priorities, manage the overwhelm, and focus on what moves the needle most. Schedule a call to explore if this is the right fit for you.
Explore Team Workshops/Training
Customized workshops and trainings to help your team improve productivity without burnout and create a culture where people (actually) thrive. Schedule a call to explore if this is the right fit for you.
PS: I’m leading a free session called "Do More, Stress Less: How Entrepreneurs Can Set Boundaries and Avoid Burnout" as part of The Personalized Business Advantage Masterclass series.
(If that's not you, feel free to ignore! (Or register anyway; business owners and busy professionals face a lot of the same struggles.))
In any case, if you want to catch my session (and maybe a few others that look interesting to you), feel free to:
👉 Register here for free to save your spot.
