The 3 M’s of Managing Workload Without Burning Out Your Team 

According to the March 2025 AHRI Work Outlook, excessive workload is the top reason people are walking out the door. Not bad culture. Not dodgy coffee. Workload. 

MONITOR: Pay Attention Before It’s a Problem 

The best time to spot workload issues is before people start quitting, having emotional breakdowns or quietly spiralling. 

Here’s what monitoring looks like in practice: 

• 1:1 check-ins (fortnightly)
  Ask how the workload feels, not just whether it’s being done. Cover: 

• Energy and wellbeing levels 

• Clarity on role and expectations 

• Early signs of stress, before they blow out
  

• Review the role itself
  Annual performance reviews should include: 

• Has the job morphed over time? 

• Are the current expectations realistic? 

• Is the role aligned with SMART work principles (sustainable, meaningful, achievable, reasonable, tolerable)?

Tip: If psychological safety is low, no one’s going to tell you they’re overwhelmed. They’ll keep smiling, nodding while polishing up their resume. 

MEASURE: Green, Orange or Red?

Think of workload in three zones. No fancy models needed, a traffic light system will do the job.

Interesting Fact: According to Tanya Heaney-Voogt , in training workshops, 18% of people self-report being under-utilised. That’s nearly 1 in 5 slowly losing interest in their work. Not because it’s hard but because it’s dull.

MANAGE: Don’t Just Listen — Act

Here’s where the wheels often fall off. You’ve done the check-ins. You’ve got the data. Now what?

Two quick tools:

• Support checklist
  • Acknowledge their experience without blaming them
  • Offer short-term relief (adjust deadlines, shift tasks)
  • Remind them what support is available (such as our coaching or masterclasses)
• Review checklist
  • Has the job grown beyond scope?
  • Are they dealing with more emotional labour or complexity than before?
  • Are the systems or expectations unrealistic?
  • Is there enough autonomy to shape their own work?

Warning sign: If someone’s been in the red zone for a while, they’ve probably already asked for help. If nothing changed, they may have stopped bothering to speak up.

Why This Matters

Work demands aren’t just a “wellbeing” issue. They affect retention, performance, and team culture. If you don’t monitor, measure and manage workload, it doesn’t stay neutral, it starts doing damage.

Managing this properly supports:

• Better decision-making and focus
• Stronger emotional resilience across the team
• A psychologically safer work environment
• Long-term engagement (no more quiet quitting)

A Few Questions to Ask Your Team (or Yourself)

• When was the last time someone told you they had too little to do?
• If someone said, “I’m drowning,” would your systems know how to respond?
• Are you rewarding the people who quietly carry the weight? Or just giving them more?

If we want real wellbeing at work, it starts with emotional intelligence, and it stays strong with clear, regular systems to monitor, measure and manage demand.

You in?

TLDR: Managing Workload Without Burning Out Your Team

✅ Do

• Monitor workload regularly through one-on-one check-ins and role reviews
• Use a simple traffic light system (green, orange, red) to assess utilisation levels
• Ask about how work feels, not just what’s being delivered
• Support early with small, practical changes before issues escalate
• Review job design if someone’s consistently overloaded or under-stimulated
• Encourage leaders to create psychological safety so team members speak up
• Use emotional intelligence to spot signs of stress, disengagement or frustration

❌ Don’t

• Don’t assume silence means everything’s fine
• Don’t rely on tokenistic perks to fix systemic workload issues
• Don’t ignore under-utilisation, boredom can be just as damaging as burnout
• Don’t treat workload reviews as one-offs, it needs to be ongoing
• Don’t overload your high performers just because they “can handle it”
• Don’t ask people to stretch without giving them proper support

Check out our upcoming free MASTERCLASSES that focus on how to Feel Good at Work, how to work Better Together, Talk Smart (communication techniques), Mission Control (leadership techniques), Essential Human Skills, and how to Tame Your Time. 

If you want to improve your behavioural skills and master the human side of work, book your free strategy session here.