Managing Your Workload 1

Managing Workload – Getting a Life

By Will Thomas, author of The Managing Workload Pocketbook

Managing the heavy workload in work today is perhaps the hottest topic. In a series of five articles we examine the reasons why managing workload is important, the attitudes that can make it work in your favour, and the practical steps to take to really make a difference. Whether you are at a point of crisis or simply wishing to tweak your workload management, there are useful strategies for you within the article.

There have been strong National pressures in recent years to encourage people and employers to promote healthy balances between work and personal life. Thought-provoking statistics emerged in 2000 from a CIPD
survey about so-called “long-hours workers”. These were defined as people who work more than 48 hours per week. The study found:
70% of long hours workers were too tired to hold a conversation
43% of partners of long hours workers were fed up having to shoulder domestic burdens 29% of partners of long hours workers felt that the long hours had “a quite, or very negative effect” on their partner’s relationship with their children.
Over a third of children of long hours workers said they saw too little of their parent

Teaching professionals are one of the most likely groups to exceed the 48 hour threshold. Whilst there is no doubt that good leadership can make a difference to workload, in this article series we look at the ways in which you personally can take more control, whatever your situation.

So what does a good life-work balance look like?
This is a very personal matter. For some it may be little more than your basic contact time in a week, for others it may be 48 hours or more. Many people enjoy their work and get a great deal of satisfaction from it. Difficulties only emerge where work impinges upon personal relationships, leisure time, or on your well-being. It may not simply be about the hours that we work, it can be about the way we organise work around the rest of our lives.

How would I know if I have a Life-Work Balance problem?
Some symptoms and signs that your workload might be out of balance with the rest of your life are:

• Excessive irritability and tiredness
• Repeatedly declining social events under pressure of work
• Extending your regular working hours at either end of the day, over time
• Feelings of ineffectiveness guilt and reduced confidence
• Concerns or fears about taking rest
• Interrupted sleep
• Fears about saying no to demands
• Breaking promises to friends and family

One of the most common symptoms coaches find amongst their “long-hours worker” coaching clients is the fear of stopping to rest. An insidious and illogical fear of quiet time develops. There is an emotional line that we cross when we consistently overwork. This line is called the rest-action threshold ( see fig 1)

Rest-action threshold

Fig 1 The Rest-action Threshold

When we have filled all of our time with activity and exclude periods of stillness we cross the rest-action threshold. At the time the threshold is crossed it is unnoticeable. At that stage we are in the clutches of chronic busyness – often responding to crises. There may be adrenaline high that is actually enjoyable. It so creeps up on us that we don’t realise we are operating in a state of constant readiness. Like a one-way valve, the rest-action threshold acts to prevent us from returning to a state of relaxation. Each time we approach the possibility of resting, anxious feelings and thoughts push us back to constant readiness. Over time, slowly and steadily, our resilience and effectiveness diminish. Numerous studies have been done which show the link between a long-hours culture and reduced professional effectiveness and resilience. But it’s by no means a one way street. Recognising your situation and taking action is possible.

Case study

Cathy Groves, is a highly successful and dedicated teacher, at South Bromsgrove School. She successfully improved her life-work balance after her own workload had spiralled out of control.

She says:
“The most important step for me was to realise that I could still be a worthwhile person, valued colleague and good teacher without working every hour of the day and night. Once I had grasped this, it was easier to make the changes I needed to make without feeling guilty. Unfortunately, I waited until I was in a state of extreme stress before reaching this point. Changing the way I worked then became a priority for the sake of my health, so I spoke to lots of friends and colleagues to find their top tips on managing time, and decided just how much time I would give each week to school and how much I would keep for myself. It has worked, I am now happier, healthier and enjoying the whole of my life.”

Cathy’s original situation is so typical of highly professional colleagues who want to do a good job. Within her solution were a series of important dimensions including listening to the complaints of your own mind and body and of loved ones around you. Alongside this was setting goals for change and acquiring the skills and strategies she needed to reduce her workload. Critical was an awareness that taking action and reviewing that action moves you forward.

So if I want change how do I get started? There are 5 key steps to bringing greater balance and managing your workload more effectively

Workload Management Steps

Fig 2 Five Key Steps to Managing Workload

They are:

Evaluate now: evaluate your current position and plan regular review slots, celebrate your successes plan you’re next steps. The Managing Workload Pocketbook offers a process for evaluating your current situation so you can analyse what you need in detail. Consider mapping your current use of time using the Working envelope grid by following the link below. Look for patterns in your use of time and overall hours worked.

Working Envelope Grid visit: http://www.visionforlearning.co.uk/books_resources.htm Look for the image of Managing Workload Pocketbook where you will find downloadable files.

Choose your future: identify in detail what kind of balance you would like. Use the working envelope grid above to define your ideal pattern and duration of work and personal time. Set staged targets.

Identify habits: identify the habits which waste time and energy and replace them with winning approaches. Getting further training can seriously improve your ability to handle difficult situations confidently and break unhelpful habits. For example, learning how to coach effectively, improves delegation skills and reduces resistant behaviours in others. NLP provides a set of highly effective communication and problem-solving tools.

Plan your strategy: Identify the strategies that will move you towards the future you wish for. Having someone encouraging you, can make transitions easier and more rapid

Act NOW: Take action NOW to start that process of change. Book out some time to take the evaluation step, decide what you want and get the support you need. Make a list of things you could do to take even more control of your workload and make progress. It is tremendously fulfilling to take positive action and begin to improve your effectiveness and well-being.

And finally…. Making changes happen can be enjoyable, and especially if you can work alongside someone who will encourage you. Finding a buddy is tremendously helpful. Whether it’s a friend, a colleague or a professional coach, you will have the support you need to help with your longer term goals.