How to show your boss your workload is out of control

The quickest way to show you are overloaded at work is to write an extremely long list with everything you are doing on it. Then give it to a key person.

If your workload is out of control, I have a trick for how to show your boss.

I have done this before.

The quickest way to illustrate you are overloaded is to write one extremely long, endless to-do list with everything you are doing on it.

Write it in your own time.

It could be four pages long.

There could be 200 items on there.

Writing it all down will also help with your anxiety as you will be able to visualise everything you need to work on.

Then set up a meeting with your boss and tell them “here is a list of everything you have asked me to do – could you let me know, from this list, which ones are the priority?”

You need them to see it all.

Sometimes a boss just doesn’t know you are overloaded – especially if your boss has never done what you do so they don’t know how long things take.

Amanda Rose, founder of Small Business Women Australia. Picture: Monique Harmer

From your long list, ask them to choose five items to prioritise then in every weekly WIP (week in progress meeting) ask them again: “Which of these are a priority?”

If you don’t have a WIP, set one up.

Not every task will be at the same level but if your boss says they are all a priority, tell them you need another team member to help deliver on this.

You should never feel afraid to speak up because if you do not deliver, they will think you have failed because you did not communicate that you needed more resources.

If your boss does not give you extra resources, they need to understand that just because they want something to happen doesn’t mean it will.

You can then get an app – such as Toggl Track – and track your time to prove how long things take to complete.

Give it a week or two, tracking everything, then in your WIP you can say, “Here is my report on where I spent all my time for my eight or 10 hours a day”.

If you work extra hours, track it so they can see that, too.

You can have evidence of where you spend your time in case you are questioned.

It will also help you to see if you are wasting your time.

Excessive workloads have always been an issue but some people handle them better than others.

Amanda Rose is a business consultant, workplace trainer, LinkedIn influencer and founder of six organisations – and now she is tackling your career questions for SMARTDaily every week.

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Originally published as How to show your boss your workload is out of control