How to Tell Your Boss You Have Too Much Work - The Muse

How to Tell Your Boss You Have Too Much Work - The MuseHow to Tell Your Boss You Have Too Much Work Dear Kyle,Can you explain how to tell your boss that you have an excessive workload (way mora than your colleagues at the same level) without sounding like youre just complaining or dont want to work hard?Signed,Overworked and Over It Hi Overworked and Over It,Talking to your manager about an excessive workload without sounding lazy or like a complainer is possible if you know how and when to issue your concern.Lets go over the basics first You want to be deliberate in your approach, notlage impulsive. For example, rather than stopping your boss as hes heading out the door to lament the number of hours youll be stuck at your desk finishing reports, youll want to schedule a meeting.Really, no matter how stressed youre feeling, its important to take a step back from your emotional state and properly plan for a conversation about having too much work. Its also important to keep the follow ing in mindDont Complain, Problem-SolveExpressing dissatisfaction with your situation without offering a way to fix the problem is complaining. But when you view the problem as a real and solvable issue, suddenly youre not just griping youre problem solving. Youre having a conversation with your boss wherein you identify a solution thatll ultimately improve the product of your work. Prepare to work with your boss by coming to the meeting with a few proposals. Consider these questions (and their answers) as you work to come up with those suggestionsIs the work simply too great for one partie to accomplish in a reasonable numbers of hours each week? Some additional support may save more time than it costs.Do you lack the appropriate resources to do the job? Consider researching and requesting a better system or additional support.Do you lack the training required to do the work efficiently? Think about requesting additional training, so that the work becomes less time-consuming.Be Spe cific, Not GeneralCharles Kettering, former CEO of General Motors, once said A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved. When you dont provide specific examples of the problem youre experiencing, you put the burden on your boss to be the problem-solver. Not all managers are skilled at navigating individual problems and identifying root causes, so avoid assuming yours will magically have all the answers. Speaking in general terms probably wont do you any favors.Instead of sayingI feel like Im being asked to do more than my co-workers and I dont think thats fair.Try this Ive been having some trouble keeping up with the amount of things on my plate right now, and was hoping we could talk about my role in item youd like to delegate and other item, since these things are taking up a significant amount of time.In the first example, youre basically asking your boss to process how you feel about your situation. Its borderline whiny. Dont depend on him to dig into the reason for your str uggle instead, offer specifics thatll help lead him to an easy understanding of whats really going on. Illustrating exactly whats keeping you busy encourages collaboration. Comparing yourself to co-workers when, chances are, you dont know the full story, is murky territory, and I dont recommend it. This is about whats going on with you and how you envision things improving.Focus on the Future, Not the PastHaving a reduced workload doesnt mean coasting. It means spending an appropriate amount of time on a reasonable amount of work. Its about working diligently, managing expectations, and not burning out. When you speak to your boss, explain your goals. Presumably you want to continue delivering quality work, and the way to do that is to literally have less work. Try this If we could take name of project or task off of my plate, Im confident that I could place more attention on name of top priority, ultimately exceeding my goals and working to advance the company in description of how you see your reduced workload aiding the organization or your team. Focusing on the outcome of your request indicates that you see the big picture, and there are few managers who wouldnt appreciate that. Hard-to-initiate conversations like this arent easy, but they do get easier. Learning to effectively communicate at work is an important part of your career. If you approach your manager with a well-articulated problem, a few potential resolutions, and a genuine desire to improve the final product, you wont sound like youre complaining or incompetent. Youll sound like you care about the work youre producing, and as an added bonus, youll hopefully set yourself on a path to a better work-life balance. This article is part of our Ask an Expert series- a column dedicated to helping you tackle your biggest career concerns. Our experts are excited to answer all of your burning questions, and you can submit one by emailing us at editor(at)themuse(dot)com and using Ask a Credible Career Co ach in the subject line.Your letter may be published in an article on The Muse. All letters to Ask an Expert become the property of Daily Muse, Inc and will be edited for length, clarity, and grammatical correctness.