Were you aware that last-minute rush work can cause stress, anxiety, and reduce productivity for you and your team? Implement the 10 strategies below to manage rush work and reduce stress and productivity losses.
1. Plan Your Timing
Avoid assigning rush work at the end of the workday. A new task — especially an urgent one — at the end of the day can be demoralizing and contribute to stress and burnout. To the extent possible, plan your timing carefully, so that your team members can fully focus on the work with energy and focus.
2. Be Transparent
Be open with your team about the reason for urgency and why it is important to get the work accomplished in the requested timeframe. If your team members understand the “why,” they will be more inclined to go the extra mile, especially if you have a trusting, positive relationship.
3. Highlight Positive Outcomes
Clearly explain any benefits for contributing to the rush. For example, will it help your employees achieve their performance or professional development goals, or the organizational mission? Point out any aspects of the work that support leadership development, which is important to employees seeking advancement.
4. Assign Thoughtfully
Consider what skills are needed and assign tasks to team members accordingly. Aligning the work with skills, expertise, interests, and goals can help get the work accomplished more effectively and efficiently. But be sure to distribute workload evenly! Ultimately, you will be able to complete the work on time with less impact on stress and burnout.
5. Check in on Workload
When an urgent request takes priority over all other work, ask your team members about their current workload. You may think you know whose plate is full, but it is helpful to double-check and make sure you are on the same page. Extend deadlines on lower priority work and adjust the scope or volume of other tasks to help make the “rush work” more feasible and less stressful.
6. Set Clear Deadlines
Setting specific deadlines can help reduce confusion and stress. Providing regular reminders can help maintain progress and reduce employee stress from keeping track of what is due when. Do this in a helpful, empathetic way, and resist the urge to micromanage. Being open to employee input and providing flexibility around interim deadlines can also help reduce stress.
7. Model Desired Behaviors
Approaching the extra work efficiently and productively with a positive attitude can rub off on others — as long as you don’t gloss over any negative impacts of the rush work. Serving as a positive example can make it easier for you to ask your team to embrace similar behaviors.
8. Streamline Meetings
Alleviate some pressure by reducing or eliminating meetings to free up time. When a meeting is absolutely necessary, use a detailed outline or agenda to keep it on track. Find other ways you can demonstrate to your team that you value their time and are actively supporting on-time completion of the “rush work.”
9. Provide Assistance
Equip your team with any tools or resources necessary to complete the work in time and make yourself available for questions or assistance. Remind your team regularly that you are available to help. Offer encouragement when needed and consider sharing your own methods or strategies for handling urgent tasks, if your team would find that helpful.
10. Celebrate Progress
Acknowledge and celebrate not only meeting the rushed deadline, but also progress and positive steps toward taking action. Even small gestures can boost morale and motivation, such as emailing a positive message of thanks and acknowledgment. Concrete rewards along the way can also be motivating, such as informal or formal recognition.
When the “rush work” is complete, ask your team for feedback. Demonstrate that you value each person’s perspective and will take steps to make future “rush work” less stressful. This will pave the way for greater productivity and less stress the next time an urgent request pops up.
Dr. Lauren Forgacs is an organizational development psychologist and applied positive psychologist, with more than six years of service in the federal government and 20 years of private sector experience, including award-winning accomplishments with a top five management consulting firm. She provides expert guidance and customized solutions to federal leaders on organizational development and culture, change management, leadership, teambuilding, employee engagement, and psychological safety. She is an expert on human-centered leadership and recently developed a year-long, cohort-based training program to enhance enterprise-wide leadership skills, organizational effectiveness, and the employee experience. Dr. Forgacs has held several leadership positions, effectively leading and motivating remote, hybrid, and on-site teams. She is also a certified federal leadership coach and a Gallup-certified strengths coach.
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