Managing an increased workload

As you progress along your career path, it is only natural that you will be trusted with increasing job responsibilities. Once you are able to prove you can handle the extra workload, many more options will become available to you for advancing your career. If you were hired at a junior level but are doing the workload (and succeeding) on an intermediate or senior level, there will be a likely chance this will get noticed and you will be promoted to reflect your abilities and contribution.

Alternatively, if you are working within a leaner organisation or a smaller digital start-up firm, you are gaining an opportunity for exposure to many more duties, tasks and opportunities that you may not get with another firm for a few more years. This can give your CV and more importantly your overall skill set, a boost.
Here are some ways to deal with the increased workload, while maintaining your high level of quality.

Think Positive

Have the right frame of mind. When given more responsibility at work, think of it as an opportunity to take a positive step forward in your career, rather than a burden. This is your time to show your management that you are ready to accept a larger responsibility within your team and company as a whole.

As you progress along your career path, it is only natural that you will be trusted with increasing job responsibilities.

Learn to Prioritise

In terms of coping with your newly inflated workload, it is essential that you prioritise your tasks to manage your time effectively. Be strict with yourself during the day or week to complete any urgent tasks in your priority list, while leaving time for tasks with more relaxed deadlines. Setting aside a bit of time everyday to make a “to-do” list can help you focus your duties and really help to improve your productivity.

Ask for Help

If you’re unable to meet a deadline, speak with your manager or key stakeholders in the project to see if you can obtain more time to perform your task well. It is better to do everything to the best of your ability than to complete a task quickly and to an insufficient standard.

Often times many workers feel reluctant to ask for help because they think it may reflect poorly on their ability to perform their job. But if you feel you have been asked to deliver more than what is capable for a given schedule, ask for additional assistance from colleagues or even your boss. Open communication is invaluable to help your managers accurately assess and reallocate your team’s resources or to schedule possible areas for training in the future.