Workload management seems to be a constant struggle in the modern workplace, particularly for those in managerial or supervisory positions. Many find themselves feeling in over their heads as they try to juggle multiple responsibilities at once.
If this is you, don’t worry. There are tons of simple things you can do to mitigate the pressure you’re under. You just need to learn how to reduce workload and make your life less stressful.
Here are some fundamentals of workload management that will help you lighten your load!
How to Reduce Workload Through Delegation
Many people abide by the old adage, “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” However, such an attitude can be harmful to both you and your team members. If you try to do everything yourself, the work will be done less efficiently, and you may eventually burn out. To avoid this, you need to learn how to delegate.
Additionally, your team members may see your failure to delegate to them as a lack of trust in your team, which will reduce their engagement and motivation. When you delegate, you show that you trust your teammates, which will encourage them to become more involved.
To delegate effectively, you need to know the strengths and weaknesses of your team members. It’s important to have conversations with your teammates so that you know them well enough to feel comfortable delegating important tasks to them.
It is also important that you avoid micromanaging. Instead of looking over your team members’ shoulders all the time, make sure you set clear, measurable expectations and follow up with them periodically. This will empower everyone to do their best work.
How to Reduce Workload Through Time Management
In 1955, Cyril Parkinson wrote a seminal essay in which he observed that tasks tend to expand into the amount of time allotted to them. Simply put, no matter how much time you give yourself, you’ll somehow find a way to use all of it. This phenomenon has since been called Parkinson’s law, and it is a key concept in time management.
Many of us think when managing our time that the more time we give ourselves on a task, the better. However, Parkinson’s law suggests that this is, in fact, not the case. When we give ourselves too much time on something, we often fall victim to procrastination and overplanning.
To avoid these pitfalls, give your team tight but reasonable deadlines and stick to them. Figure out how long a given task takes, and give yourself time to do it correctly without allowing too much leeway. This will prevent you from putting it off.
It also helps to break complex tasks down into smaller subtasks to make them less overwhelming. This keeps you on track to finish the project by the deadline.
How to Reduce Workload Through Time Blocking
When juggling multiple tasks at once, most of us succumb to the temptation of multitasking — quickly jumping from one task to another. While this may seem like the best way of getting multiple things done at once, it actually decreases efficiency.
Studies have demonstrated that task hopping actually makes you less time efficient while also lowering the quality of your work. Rather than switching between tasks, try time blocking.
When time blocking, you block out a certain amount of time to do a single task. By focusing on one task at a time, the quality of your work will improve, and you will actually end up saving time.
How to Reduce Workload Through Automation
One cardinal key to workload management is automation. The more of your tasks that you can automate, the fewer things you have to keep in mind at once. This is a good thing because even the brightest of us can only focus on a small number of things at once.
Tools like using project management software, establishing SOPs, and creating checklists can keep you and your team from losing track of everything you need to do.
However, of all the things you can do to lower your workload, automating training might have the biggest impact. You can do this by using online training courses.
How to Reduce Your Workload Today
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