When “busyness” is BAU
Feel like you’re constantly under the pump managing your workload? You’re not alone.
In a recent article in NZ Management Magazine, AUT Business School professors Kate Kearins and Candice Harris examine the pitfalls and potential of managing “busyness”.
When asked “How are you?” most people forego the response of “Busy.” “Busy” is a take-for-granted, a goes-without-saying state of being.
So, how do we manage the almost inevitable times when work volumes seem to blow out?
First, as managers, we have some serious responsibility to take here. What we decide needs to get worked on often ends up being worked on by others.
So, first, it’s a good idea to limit how many big changes we initiate at once, to phase their implementation, and to ensure that they are changes important enough to warrant making (and won’t later need reversing). That means some bottom-up input, and more time in the decision-making and prioritisation phase.
Second, then, is prioritisation. It's vital – but it’s far easier said than done.
Busyness can help here – or hinder. With so much to do, sometimes the big tasks with imminent deadlines mean the less important ones wallow in the inbox. Sometimes, along with the random requests and vague cries for assistance, less important tasks seem to somehow resolve themselves, get sorted by others or, over time, seem to simply no longer need attention. Either that, or you miss something big and pay the price (unless you have a superb exec assistant).
Third, having a great team, support crew at work and at home…
Fourth, working on being match fit and scheduling time out…
Finally, if you find yourself in the ‘Busy’ zone, take a moment to consider these 10 prompts:
- Why are you busy?
- Is your job the right size?
- Are people in your organisation working on the right things?
- What is the line between busyness and chaos?
- Are you spending too much time on things?
- Do you feel confident and willing to delegate work?
- What are the outcomes of constant busyness? (Such as high leave balance, tiredness, short-tempered, missing the joy from work.)
- Have you fallen into the ‘It’s quicker to do it myself trap’?
- How are you using technology to be constantly ‘on’?
- How is the work you do leading to micro, meso and macro progress (in other words, are you saving the world?)?
Imagine if our colleagues responded to the “How are you?” question with “Not busy” or “Just busy enough, thanks.” Would that be unsettling or inspiring – or even admirable?
What is the opposite of busy? Has busyness become an expected state? Do our organisations have enough management nous and a strategic human resource approach for people not to be constantly busy?