Emma Richardson

5 months ago

I think that in any role when you are feeling overwhelmed and your work load is too much to handle it is important to share this with your line manager. I would talk to the project manager and ask for assistance - can someone else take over the role of line manager of the workstream members to ease the burden of work? or can a project support take on some work for you? often it is difficult to pass over a role because they are very specialist roles and someone else can't just jump in and help.  In conservation it is difficult as there are always limited budgets and most people are doing 2 or 3 roles for an organisation. I see this issue often. 

Abbie

5 months ago

First I would talk to my line manager to discuss the best course of action.

I would imagine that the best course of action would be to drop one of the roles. Logically I assume the easiest role to get a replacement for would be the role with less responsibility, the workstream member of the law workstream. However, we did talk about how these roles can be more specialised so I would give up whichever role is easier to fill so that the team can be productive with its work. There is no use in trying to juggle both roles and letting two teams of people down. The role that was dropped could either be filled my someone else on the team who had the space to be able to take on the extra work or someone new would need to be brought in.

If it was not an option to completely drop one of the roles then I would have a chat with my line manager and make a list of everything I am doing in both roles. I would then higlight the top tasks that are dragging me down and see if any of these individual tasks can be redelegated to another member of the team.

Alessio Mocci

5 months ago

If you find yourself stretched across multiple roles, it’s important to address the situation proactively and professionally. Begin by communicating openly with your teams about your current workload and the challenges it presents, while reassuring them that you are working towards a solution. Prioritize the most urgent and high-impact tasks to ensure that key objectives are still met. Next, clarify and formalize the responsibilities within each workstream so that everyone understands their roles and decision-making authority. Establish a process for escalating issues, ensuring that problems are addressed efficiently and do not stall progress. Discuss your workload with leadership and suggest delegating one of your roles to another team member. This will allow you to focus more effectively on your primary responsibilities and provide better support to your team. Encouraging peer mentoring within your teams can also help distribute responsibilities more evenly and encourage skill development. This would reduce frustration among team members, and help establish a more structured and effective working environment.

Bree

5 months ago

I would go and talk to my project manager about the workload and expected responsibilities, letting them know that I am overwhelmed. I would clarify my roles and responsibilities and discuss if there is any opportunity to decrease the workload. Things I might consider include: talking to the PM about if there is someone that can take my place in the law enforcement workstream so that i can better support my 2 workstream members. If I am overwhelmed and stretch beyond capacity then i will not be doing any good to either workstreams, so something will need to give. Alternatively, I might ask any other members can join the low enforcement workstream to help catch up. It need to be open communication to ensure the projects are on track or whether the project plan/scope needs to be adjusted. 

Katherine Butt

4 months ago

I'd communicate the problem, request redistribution of tasks, prioritise my leadership role in the research workstream, and create a clearer workload plan. This supports the team without compromising my wellbeing or the project's success. A great scenario for reflecting on the “Take Responsibility” and “Embrace Change” principles!

Fiona

4 months ago

This situation shows a breakdown in role clarity. Leading the snowy owl workstream while also contributing to another has stretched my capacity and left my team unsupported.

First, I’d be transparent with the snowy owl team. I’ve led teams under pressure before, and I know that open communication helps maintain trust. I’d acknowledge the issue, listen, and outline immediate steps.

I’d then map my responsibilities across both workstreams, identify where tasks can be delegated, and speak with project leads to rebalance roles. I’d explore whether other team members—such as someone underutilised in a different workstream—could step in temporarily to relieve pressure during key pinch points. I've used this approach in previous projects to good effect.

Finally, I’d reset expectations with the team and implement short-term actions to get delivery back on track. Role clarity is a live process—revisiting it early prevents long-term issues.

Charley Bird

4 months ago

I would firstly speak to the project manager and project support colleagues, to see if they can offer any suggestions.

I would sit down and make a list of all the tasks I was responsible for, then delegate some to workstream members, or potentially request more workstream members to be able to better balance the demands of the role and the project.

NKOITOI ERIC

4 months ago

The best is to have a Purpose and that's Identify each team member’s natural role. It is also important to 

• Discuss the results together: e.g., Coordinator, Implementer, Completer Finisher, Plant, etc.

• Assign project tasks aligned with its roles. to also identify the benefit, helps prevent role conflict and encourages using strengths.