8 Ways to Manage Team Overload Video

Many of us work in busy, high-pressure environments. But, when workloads aren't managed well, and the pressure builds, people can become demoralized, disengaged and resentful. So, here are eight ways you can avoid team overload:

1. Get support. Be honest with senior managers about the pressure that you and your team are under. And negotiate a better solution for all.

2. Communicate and show concern. Check in with your people regularly. A team that is open and honest will less likely buckle under the pressure.

3. Prioritize and plan. Encourage your team to set up prioritized To-Do Lists   , and help people to rank their tasks by importance.

4. Don't waste time! Allow your people to concentrate on "mission-critical" tasks. Minimize distractions   , and keep meetings short and to the point.

5. Enable "deep work." Concentration is key when you are dealing with large volumes of work. Schedule specific times for quiet, uninterrupted work.

6. Check for underperformance   . If your team looks to be 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 A lack of training or even outdated equipment could be holding it back.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 re-think 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   .