Do you find yourself chronically double-booked, always running behind, and struggling to make progress on your most important goals?
You’re not alone. A recent study found that 74% of employees feel overwhelmed by excessive work demands, with nearly half pointing to unrealistic expectations as the primary culprit.*
This overwhelm isn’t just a personal issue—it’s an organizational crisis. Teams drowning in tasks miss deadlines, fall short on key metrics, and ultimately fail to achieve the objectives that drive success.
The Avalanche of Unfunded Mandates
In many organizations, goals pile up like snow in a blizzard—each one well-intentioned, but together, they create what I call an "unfunded mandate." An unfunded mandate is when you’re asked to take on more than you have the time, money, or energy to handle. HR requests 10% of your time for employee engagement. Quality control demands another 10% for process improvements. Compliance needs an extra 10% for regulatory updates. Meanwhile, you need 100% of your focus to meet your core objectives. It doesn’t add up. The result? Burnout, missed deadlines, and dwindling motivation.
The reality is that while the demands on our time, money, and energy may feel endless, our resources are not—especially time. No matter how wealthy we are, we can’t go to the bank and buy another hour. (If you know where to get more time, please let me know—I’d love to buy a few extra hours myself!)
A chronic issue in today’s workplaces is that we rarely have time to focus on what matters most; instead, our attention is constantly divided. We’re pulled in multiple directions, leaving little room for deep, meaningful work. Breaking free from this cycle requires the courage to say no—not as an act of defiance, but as a crucial part of strategic leadership. True leaders don’t just focus on doing things right; they prioritize doing the right things. It’s about making intentional, strategic choices that propel the organization forward, even if it means scaling back on less critical efforts.
The Power of Strategic Alignment
No single leader can solve this issue alone. It requires a cohesive strategy across all departments, avoiding the trap of adding new tasks without considering capacity. This is where alignment practices can make a difference. By creating a brave, inclusive space for open discussion, teams can renegotiate priorities, focus on what’s realistic, and eliminate low-impact activities.
How to Break Free
Escaping the trap isn’t just about setting new priorities; it’s about resolving conflicts between competing projects and initiatives. All too often, new initiatives are launched with enthusiasm without considering what must be cut to make room for them. We need a transparent, inclusive process to determine which projects to pursue—and which ones to drop.
Consider this example: We recently worked with a division juggling 15 strategic initiatives for over a decade, consistently falling short of expectations. Through alignment practices, we helped them narrow their focus to just 5 core initiatives. They then used alignment tools to gain buy-in from headquarters for their streamlined plan. Within a year, their key metrics finally started to show significant improvement. It was a turning point made possible by the power of alignment.
The Courage to Prioritize
Leaders must have the courage to prioritize and retire projects that no longer serve the organization’s goals. It’s time to rethink how we approach our work. Let’s focus on what truly matters, reduce distractions, and break free from the cycle of unfunded mandates.
*Source: Gallup, "Employee Burnout: Causes and Cures," 2023.
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