It’s easy for this to happen: you accept new responsibilities because it’s a sign of your potential, an opportunity for growth, and expanding your platform. But what do you do when you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?

1. Be fact based when describing the current state to your manager.  If you’ve gone from 10 people to 6, show this on an org chart. If your list of projects has doubled, create a slide that shows what your people are working on and their due dates. You need to keep the facts clear, and written down. People forget.
2. Come up with a solution(s): it’s usually either 1) more people, 2) less or different work. More resources is usually the answer if the workload is non-negotiable. Prioritization based on current resources is needed for option 2. Be prepared if your manager doesn’t know what to prioritize: you should have a prepared list: what stays, what goes, what’s in pending.
3. Once you agree on a strategy, put together a plan to execute with dates and milestones. Involve your team…chances are they’re feeling the pressure too.

Managing your workload and what you take on is an important skill to master. Most smart people fail because they’ve taken on too much. The important thing to remember is that it’s not that you don’t want to, it’s that you can’t without jeopardizing the outcomes.