10 ideas on how to manage workload:
A BIG PROBLEM
LMA INSIGHTS: MANAGING WORKLOAD
In 2017/18, stress, depression and anxiety accounted for 57 per cent of all working days lost due to ill health, largely the result of workload pressures.
MONITOR
Track how you spend your time over a typical day or week. How much of it was productive, unnecessary or could have been done by someone else? It may help you make better use of your time.
PRIORITISE
Decide whether tasks are urgent (time sensitive), important (adds value), both or neither. Urgent and important tasks need to be addressed first, but it’s often the ‘not urgent, but important’ ones that move you fastest towards your goals.
MANAGE DISTURBANCES
According to the Pareto Principle, 80 per cent of the benefit comes from doing 20 per cent of your tasks. Protect that 20 per cent, whether by hanging a ‘do not disturb’ sign on your door or turning off email notifications.
DELEGATE
Over half of business owners believe they can grow their firms by more than 20 per cent if they delegate 10 per cent of their work. Delegation takes time at first, but it benefits everyone.
THINK IN INK
The act of writing a to-do list may in itself help you get tasks done. Thinking in ink can cement information in your memory and increase your commitment to it.
ORDER YOUR DAY
Your brain fatigues as the day progresses, with focus and motivation waning and decision-making deteriorating the more choices you make. Aim to tackle more important tasks and decisions first thing in the morning.
ADAPT
When starting a new role it’s essential that you can adapt to how you operate, whether that means making the most of your new support structure, reprioritising or reordering your day.
JUST SAY NO
There are limits to how much you can achieve in a day, and how much you can do well. It’s better to be realistic with people than to over-promise and under-deliver.
TAKE A BREAK
Working harder and longer isn’t the answer to getting more done; it can lead to mistakes, anxiety and burnout. Regular breaks away from the task in hand will help to clear the mind, reduce stress and improve productivity.
