In an era when companies are dealing with challenges like The Great Resignation, disengaged employees, hybrid work environments, and changing priorities, even the world’s best managers may find that their teams are stretched thin.

Fast Company recently published an article offering tips on how an employee should approach their boss when they are feeling overwhelmed. They recommend that an employee comes with three things prepared: documentation of all their tasks, a workflow analysis, and suggested priorities.

When an employee comes to you with similar talking points or simply starts complaining about their workload, you have three options:

1. Dismiss them.

2. Hear them out, take a few responsibilities off their plate, and give them tips on how to work more efficiently.

3. Listen to learn what they enjoy most about their work and what they find most draining. Then work with them to identify how they can best contribute to the team.

The last option may sound the most challenging, but it is the one that will yield the greatest results. When people are allowed to focus on doing more of what they love, they are likely to work more efficiently, stay more engaged, and be more satisfied with their work.  

If you find yourself talking with an employee who feels overworked, consider asking these questions:

• Of the things you’d like to prioritize, what appeals to you most? Why?

• What do you wish you could do more of?

• What do you dislike about the tasks you would like to deprioritize?

Take note of what they say. You may not be able to accommodate their every request right now, but they will feel more confident that you care about them as a person. You will also have a better sense of the areas where this person is likely to excel because people grow the most in the areas where they are already strong, and a big indicator of that potential is a desire to do or learn more in that area.

Unfortunately, some employees would rather drown in their workloads than talk about it because they are afraid of being seen as incompetent or weak. So if it has been a while since you checked in with your team to find out how they are feeling about their roles and responsibilities, don’t wait for them to come to you. Be proactive. Listen. Learn. Explore ways  to distribute work in a way that helps every person enjoy what they do.

Ready to take your next step towards turning chaos into clarity?