How to do more with less

Doing more with less

Everybody I meet these days is talking about the need to do more with less.

We're in a perfect storm for it thanks to COVID, an economic recession, international conflict, the hangover from climate events, and more besides.

So if you're experiencing:

• staff changes
• cost-cutting exercises
• restructures or
• redundancies...

...you may be wondering: when it will bloody well end?

In the thick of all, we're busier than ever.

Technology was meant to make work life easy but we're drowning under its weight.

Last week I was chatting to a team leader in a large infrastructure firm. Her Microsoft Teams stats told her she'd spent 40% of her week in meetings. And that was a light week.

We're all busier than ever but are we achieving more from all that busy time?

"The thing is Paul," she explained.

"Our senior leadership team are telling us to say no to anything new.

But then we have problems coming up from customers and community members that need addressing.

If I say no, it'll either piss somebody off big time, or it'll make my performance drop."

Are you talking about it?

I've been pondering how to do more with less myself recently.

Last night my wife and I had a straight-up conversation about my desire to finish my book manuscript by June.

"I'm wondering if I should start writing in the weekends," I began.

My wife's face takes on a pained look.

"Paul, you're already spending too much time on your phone and computer as it is. Even when you are with us, sometimes it's like you're not really with us."

Ouch.

It hurt because I knew it was true.

So while I could pretend like I have my shit together here, I don't.

All I will say is this.

If your work life feels frantic, know that you're not alone.

Noticing the problem is the first step to changing it.

Next we have to talk to the people around us.

Only by leading those conversations can we rebuild a work life that works for you. (And leads to better engagement and performance for your whole team.)

If you'd like help leading that conversation, just get in touch.