Everyone wants to feel liked and valued at work. We strive to be seen as supportive and capable team members. That’s why, when we’re asked to help a colleague out or take on an additional task, many of us are quick to accept.
While taking on extra tasks to be a helpful and accommodating team player certainly has its merits, it can also prove highly problematic when an employee doesn’t have the bandwidth or understanding they need to get it all done – forcing them to compromise their work quality and risk burnout.
A recent Gallup analysis found that when employees’ workloads become too much to effectively handle, they look to their managers to be their advocates in terms of what they can and can’t accomplish and to help them identify the right resources to move forward. That’s why, as a leader, it’s so important to know how to guide your employees to respond to requests, manage their workloads, understand their capacities, and give them the tools they need to succeed.
A Work OS can help you manage your team more effectively. Get in touch with our team of experts to learn how.
How to support your team members in managing requests
1. Encourage them to ask questions
Whenever they are asked to take on additional tasks, it’s important that your team members know what questions to ask in order to ensure they feel confident moving forward. So, anytime you or a colleague request their help, encourage your team members to take a moment to ask themselves:
- Do I understand the purpose and goal of this request?
- Do I have all the information I need to get started?
- How urgent is this request?
- When can I reasonably expect to get this done without putting too much added pressure on myself?
Once they can answer those questions for themselves, they will know what information they still need from the requester in order to proceed. Make sure your team members understand that by asking questions from the get-go, they avoid wasting time and having to make assumptions, which inevitably leads to misunderstandings and mistakes.
On a similar note, asking important questions can help team members realize that they are not actually the right person for the job. Whether it’s actually someone else’s domain or they simply don’t know how to do the task at hand, it’s crucial that your employees recognize that they are not just allowed, but actually encouraged to acknowledge when they are not the right employee for the request. By being honest and redirecting the requester to the relevant team member, your employees won’t waste their time trying to complete something they aren’t equipped to do.
2. Promote setting boundaries
While it’s never fun to say no, it’s important for your team members to know how to set boundaries and accept that sometimes they simply won’t have the bandwidth to take on an extra project or get it done within the requested time frame. Make sure they understand that their daily roles and responsibilities should almost always come first and that if taking on these additional requests would mean sacrificing the quality of their work, it’s not worth it. Let them know that responses like, “I would really love to help but I’m swamped right now, so if it’s urgent, I think it’s best to ask someone else,” are completely acceptable and valid. Additionally, offering to take on a smaller commitment is always an option. For example, “I don’t think I’ll have the time to do this, but I’m happy to review it at the end if that would be helpful.”
3. Help with prioritization
Assist your employees in prioritizing different requests and responsibilities by encouraging them to make a list of everything on their plates, including how much time they expect various tasks to take and outlining each due date. Once they have everything laid out in front of them, they can effectively determine if and when they have room for an addition. Emphasize that it’s better to underpromise and over-deliver than to fail to meet the expectations they’ve set, so they should always try and err on the side of giving themselves a few extra days when setting realistic deadlines with their team members. “I’m happy to help, but I won’t be able to get to this until next week,” and “I think I can get to this by the end of the week,” are excellent ways to agree to help without overcommitting.
A Work OS makes prioritization simple
With a Work OS like monday.com, you can easily review each team member’s workload and help them prioritize tasks in real time. This way, you’ll always have a birds-eye view of individual bandwidth and a strong understanding of where work stands. Get in touch with our team of experts to learn more about how we can help you support your team and reach your goals.