Reducing Workload Overlap

I've been reflecting on a fascinating HBR article about "Collaborative Overload," which struck a nerve. The researchers found up to a third of value-added collaborations come from just 3-5% of employees. Think about that for a moment. We're burning out our most valuable collaborators. It reminds me of Star Trek's Kobayashi Maru, the infamous no-win scenario. Modern organizations face their own version of this impossible challenge. The article brilliantly captures how collaboration has become both our greatest strength and our most insidious productivity killer. In my view, Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) is the real enemy. I see this play out daily at Unity Environmental University. Our most capable team members are pulled into every initiative or decision point. The HBR research validates what many of us have felt in our bones - this isn't sustainable. They found that the most in-demand employees can spend a staggering 80% of their workday just responding to others' requests. Looking ahead, I'm planning to experiment with what the article calls "redistributing the load." This means identifying our collaboration bottlenecks and actively redirecting requests to other capable but less tapped resources in a three-tiered system. The researchers suggest this could free up 20-35% of collaborative time. I am hoping to overhaul our approach to: 1. Map our collaboration networks to identify overloaded nodes 2. Create clearer escalation pathways that don't always lead to the same people 3. Set standardized expectations around response times and availability But here's what makes this a true Kobayashi Maru: we can only dial back collaboration by risking innovation and team cohesion. Like Kirk, we need to change the rules of the game entirely. The article suggests that the solution isn't less collaboration - it's smarter collaboration. This means being more intentional about who we pull in, when we pull them in, and how we leverage their expertise. When we launched our new Distance Education Subsidiary in 2016, instead of our usual "all-hands" approach with 50+ stakeholders weighing in, we streamlined to just seven key decision-makers. Surprisingly, we moved faster and got better results, growing the university over 10X in enrollment. The fear of missing out on meetings isn't serving anyone, as not every meal needs all the ingredients to be delicious. But here's the real kicker, and what makes this a true Kobayashi Maru: No matter how well you thread this needle, someone will be unhappy. Some team members will feel isolated, others overwhelmed. That's not a failure of the system; it's a sign that you're pushing the boundaries of conventional wisdom. What struck me most about the HBR piece was that it isn't just about productivity but sustainability. We're not just protecting time; we're protecting our most valuable asset: our people's energy and creativity. What's your take?

Are you drowning in admin work? We built an automation in 2 hours for a tedious admin task. It’s faster. It’s cleaner. And it gives us better data. We tried using both Gusto and a manual approach to manage PTO for our team of 25. But it added friction at every step: - Our staff had to log-in every time. - A clunky approval flow. - HR still had to manually update our calendars. - And worst of all. No data we could use. When we managed PTO manually the process involved: following up on emails, cross-referencing approvals, updating calendars, and constantly checking tracking spreadsheets for accuracy. So we scrapped it. And Srdjana Radovic built an automated process with no-code tools. She used ChatGPT to write the Google Script that powers the automation. What she built: 📌 Google Form for requests 📌 Automated approvals via email 📌 Auto-sync to our team tracker 📌 Optional calendar updates 📌 AI handles logic and catches edge cases All built in under 2 hours (no devs, no engineering backlog, no new software). Now each PTO request takes 3 minutes instead of 20. This time was spent mostly sending emails back and forth. Also, ensure minimal PTO overlap is a big part of our process. Multiply that 20 min across even 20 requests per month, and that’s over 5 hours of admin work saved every month. But this isn’t just about time savings. Here’s what we really got: ✅ Fewer errors ✅ Fewer back-and-forth emails ✅ Faster approvals for our team ✅ Less disruptive PTO overlap ✅ A smoother experience for the team ✅ Clean, structured data we can analyze This small automation gave us a process we can trust AND visibility we never had before. What tedious admin task would you love to automate?

Agile: The Least Worst Solution To Shared Resources Jem Jelly posted a challenging scenario that got me thinking. Here it is: "We have our Tester Dave, who’s shared 30% of the time with us this sprint. Next sprint, we’ll have him back at 80%, or maybe he’ll be fully shared with the other team—we don’t know yet..." The replies to Jem's post are funny, but the issue’s real. So let’s solve it in the least worst way... This situation’s tough but manageable. Clarity is key. You can’t plan well with a resource (human or otherwise) whose availability is unclear. If Dave’s availability fluctuates, document it. Get input from other teams and stakeholders to understand and negotiate his allocation. If Dave's available 30% in Sprint 1, then adjust the testing workload accordingly. That might mean limiting development to avoid overloading testing. It’s better to reduce velocity than to compromise the definition of done. Be upfront about the trade-offs with stakeholders. For Sprint 2, if Dave might be shared, then plan contingencies. Start by talking with the other team(s) to align on priorities and avoid surprises. Maybe you can have more "Dave-time" this month if you agree to less Dave-time next month. Document these agreements and bake them into roadmaps to avoid misunderstandings. Adapt your team’s workflow to match Dave’s availability. Maybe you can break testing into smaller, manageable chunks so progress stays steady even with limited time. Consider Kanban. Dave can pull tasks as he’s free instead of facing a long queue of jobs he can’t realistically complete. Team flexibility is another part of the solution. Shared resources like Dave often become single points of failure. Cross-train to reduce the dependency. His teammates might not match Dave’s expertise (yet), but they can handle basic testing or build test automation. That will free Dave to focus on more complicated or higher-value work. Cross-training doesn’t solve the the sprint’s problem, but it's an investment that pays off long-term. If Dave’s availability is indefinitely unpredictable, treat it like a variable in capacity planning. Calculate sprint capacity assuming full availability, then subtract the shared portion of Dave’s time. That results in a more accurate sense of what’s possible. If he’s back to 80% next sprint, plan for it - but include a buffer. Eventually, you’ll need to address the root problem. Shared resources aren’t sustainable. If Dave’s availability consistently disrupts the team, escalate the issue to leadership. Push for a dedicated resource or reprioritize work to reduce the bottleneck. This scenario isn’t ideal, but it is realistic and common. Whether it’s a tester, developer, UX expert, BA, designer, PO, or SM, shared resources add uncertainty that can derail sprints. Clear communication, better planning, and adaptability can help teams navigate these challenges and deliver value. Sometimes, the best solution isn’t the perfect one... it’s the least worst.

●Stop chasing away your high performers● My friend Evelyn, always met her deadlines and exceeded her targets. So her manager assigned additional projects, believing she could handle them. Meanwhile, her colleagues had minimal tasks, resulting in an unfair workload distribution. This led to her burnout and drastically reduced her productivity. Sadly, many high performers in the corporate world can relate to this. ✔7 Strategies Leaders Can Use to Prevent Unfair Workload Distribution: ↳Clearly define roles and responsibilities for each team member. ↳Regularly assess workloads to ensure balance across the team. ↳Implement a task management system for transparency. ↳Encourage open communication about workload challenges. ↳Provide training for managers on effective delegation. ↳Recognize and reward teamwork and collaboration. ↳Monitor employee well-being and adjust workloads accordingly. ✔Bonus: ↳Overworked employees are 50% less productive than those with balanced workloads. ↳This decline in productivity hinders overall business performance and profitability. 🔔 What bonus can you add to this? #Voiceforkindness

Helping your team cope with stress looks like kindness. Fixing the workload is the real leadership. High performers are used to having a lot on their plates. But there are times when it really is too much. Sometimes the workload can be more than what people can handle, or the team's been working intensely for months and is running out of energy. A lot of companies respond by offering wellness apps, spa vouchers, or stress management workshops. That treats the symptoms, not the root cause. The best way to prevent burnout isn't teaching people how to cope with more stress. You need to redesign the work to create less stress. Here are 10 ways you can do that: 1️⃣ Cap work in progress ↳ Stop running everything at once. If something new starts, something else pauses or stops. 2️⃣ Plan from capacity ↳ Plan work based on the time and people you have available. Leave room for any curveballs. 3️⃣ Reduce meeting load ↳ Cut back on recurring meetings where possible. Protect blocks of uninterrupted time for deep work. 4️⃣ Name the real priorities ↳ Define the top 1–3 outcomes for the week. Be explicit about what’s getting done. 5️⃣ Remove bottlenecks ↳ Make ownership and decision authority explicit. Reduce waiting caused by handoffs and approvals. 6️⃣ Set response-time norms ↳ Be clear about what needs a fast response and what doesn’t. Make it explicit to the whole team. 7️⃣ Design around energy ↳ Pay attention to pacing across the day and week. Sustained output beats constant intensity. 8️⃣ Eliminate unnecessary repeat work ↳ Use templates and automation for repetitive tasks to free up energy for high-level decisions. 9️⃣ Build recovery into the plan ↳ Schedule coverage so time off is actually possible. Ease the load after major pushes. 🔟 Reduce decision overload ↳ Cut down the number of decisions you have to make each day. Use clear defaults so the team takes ownership. Wellness perks might help in the short-term, but they won't fix how the work is structured. Talk to your team, ask what challenges they're facing, and work through the solutions to relieve their stress. Which one of these would make the biggest difference for your team right now? For more posts on leading in ways that support sustainable performance, follow Clif Mathews. ---- 📨 Every week, 16,000+ execs learn how to define their own success via socials and in my newsletter, Second Summit Brief. Sign up here so you don't miss out: bit.ly/SecondSummitBrief 🔁 Repost to help another leader shift from managing stress to removing it.

Here’s what happened when we ran a “Simplify to Impact” session inside a major hospital... 35 nurse leaders. One mission: clear the chaos so leadership can get out of survival mode. I spent a day at The Christ Hospital Health Network tackling the root causes of leadership overload — not just talking about it, but changing it in real time. Here's what we worked on: – Why leadership overload happens (and how it’s reinforced daily) – Calendar Triage: where we ran real meetings through the tool — and paused 15 on the spot – Email + workload hacks to reduce decision fatigue – Burnout interventions like mindfulness and EFT tapping – Practical boundary-setting that builds trust, not tension These leaders didn’t just sit through slides — they rebuilt how they lead. And the shift was instant. Thank you Teresa Conyers, DNP, RN, CENP and Julie Holt RN, MSN, CENP for the generous invitation. Your leaders are exceptional! 📽️ Video below shows a glimpse of the energy in the room. If your leadership team is drowning in decisions, distractions, or just too many meetings — there’s a better way to lead. 👉 Explore the Simplify to Impact framework — including our free meeting triage tool: https://lnkd.in/gTkVR6tK

Over half of the teams who reach out to us mention resource management as one of their top issues to solve. They're trying to balance demand (client needs and budget) with supply (employee and contractor skill sets, availability, and costs). And most turn to technology as the key component to solve this challenge. "As long as I have a modern-day project management system with a workload view, I'll be all set, right?... RIGHT?" At ZenPilot, we blend a mix of top-down and bottom-up resourcing. Bottom-up helps with the short term, and top-down helps with the long term. Regardless of the approach, your project management system needs to be your single source of truth and ultimate data collector to help you. Here are a few steps you need to take to start building out a more accurate workload view in ClickUp. 1️⃣ Document your agency's processes step-by-step as ClickUp templates. If you build process templates for everything that you do, and they leverage time estimates, due dates, and assignees, you'll get much more accurate tasks in your system to actually populate your workload view. 2️⃣ Each task should only have ONE assignee "Multiple assignees on a task = no assignees" 3️⃣ Your due dates should be the DO dates Due dates are our core prioritization method. Due dates are not just suggestions; they're when a task needs to be completed. We take it a step further and voice that the due date should also be the DO date—when the task needs to be started and completed. 4️⃣ Get rid of start dates Start dates just split up time estimates evenly across days, which isn't always realistic. 5️⃣ Remap overdue tasks If your team has a bunch of overdue tasks that still need to be done, these won't reflect accurately on the workload view if their due dates are in the past. 6️⃣ Optimize your process templates monthly Create a time estimate vs. actual dashboard to help you compare time tracked to time estimates. You want to use data to get your time estimates as accurate as possible. 7️⃣ Out of office time matters Time blocks can also be used to populate the workload view. You should be creating tasks in your project management system that fill up someone's workload when they are out of the office and can't take on any work. 8️⃣ Live by the rule of "if it's not in your project management system, it doesn't exist" Every task needs to be in your project management system to make your workload view accurate. This includes meetings, professional development, etc. 9️⃣ Create a QA view at the everything level (or a dashboard) to audit your workspace. Every task must have an assignee, due date, and time estimate to populate your workload view, but how do you make sure every task has the appropriate data? Build a QA view that only shows tasks that don't have one of those three ingredients. 👉 I've got a full training and PDF guide on this. You can find it here: https://lnkd.in/eu92NTSi

We all want our top-performing employees to stay... but unknowingly, we leaders oftentimes inadvertently drive them away. For example: Stacking on more, without taking anything off. Your top performer consistently delivers exceptional work. Naturally, you give them your toughest challenges — the problems no one else can crack, the initiatives you believe could transform the business. You keep adding to their workload because they've never let you down before. This approach solves the boredom problem that drives some top performers away… But it also creates a new one: Overload. You can't continually stack responsibilities without creating unsustainable pressure. Without trade-offs, you're setting up your star performer for inevitable burnout. Worse, this pattern sends a toxic message: Excellence is punished with more work. I've watched promising leaders get rewarded for their outstanding performance by working evenings and weekends while their more moderately-performing colleagues maintain work-life balance. What to do instead? ◾ Practice the “one in, one out” rule. Before adding a new responsibility, identify something that can be deprioritized, delegated, or delayed. ◾ Make capacity conversations normal. Try: "Before I add this to your plate, what's your current bandwidth like? What could we shift to make room?" ◾ Conduct regular work inventories. Periodically review everything they're responsible for and assess what's still relevant versus what's become lower priority. ◾ Recognize their invisible work. Remember top performers often handle unofficial mentoring, troubleshooting, and cross-functional collaboration that doesn't appear on any project list. This approach fuels sustainable high performance rather than setting up a burnout cycle. It demonstrates that you value quality over quantity and respect their humanity beyond their productivity. -- I cover more of the subtle behaviors that drive away top performers (and what to do instead) in my latest newsletter I published this morning. Link to the full piece is in the comments.