8 Ways to Manage Team Overload Video

Many of us work in busy, high-pressure environments. But, when workloads get too much, and the pressure builds, people can become demoralized, disengaged and resentful.

So, here are eight ways you can manage team overload:

1. Get support. Be honest with your boss about the pressure that you and your team are under. Establish new, realistic expectations to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

2. Be honest. Check in with your people regularly. A team that's open, honest, and willing to share the load is less likely to buckle under pressure.

3. Prioritize and plan. Encourage your team to list what needs to be done and when. Then help them to rank these tasks by importance.

4. Don't waste time! Allow your people to concentrate on "mission-critical" tasks. Set aside non-essential team commitments and keep meetings short and to the point.

5. Allow time to focus. Concentration is key when you are dealing with large volumes of work. Schedule uninterrupted "deep work" to avoid non-urgent disruptions.

6. Check for underperformance   . If your team is overloaded, but the workload seems acceptable, investigate further! A lack of training or even outdated equipment could be holding it back.

7. Increase capacity. The solution may be as simple as bringing in some new recruits. Consider taking on an assistant or outsourcing some work.

8. Search for alternatives. Helping people to work harder and faster is only a short-term fix. Sooner or later, you'll need to find a real solution. Perhaps you need to rethink deadlines, or redistribute tasks within or beyond your team.

If you want to learn more about how to manage team overload, read the article here   .