How do I manage the relationship with my Manager when they are giving me more workload and I already have a lot on?
Updated: Oct 26
Managing up can feel like walking a tightrope when your manager keeps adding tasks while your plate is already full. As an example, for a Director, this challenge is even more complex because the stakes are high and the workload is intense. The key is to move beyond simply saying "yes" or "no" and instead build a strategic partnership with your manager. This approach focuses on making your workload visible, prioritizing effectively, and aligning your efforts with the business’s top goals.
This post will guide you through practical steps to manage this relationship, keep your workload balanced, and maintain your focus on what truly matters.
Build a Shared Reality of Your Workload
The first step to managing up when overloaded is to create a clear, shared understanding of your current commitments. This avoids misunderstandings and helps your manager see the full picture.
Create a "State of Me" Document
Use a tool like Notion or Google Sheets to list all your current projects. Include:
Project names
Status updates
Current blockers
Deadlines and timelines
This should be a live document and accessible to your manager. It acts as a job achievements tracker and workload snapshot, making it easier to discuss priorities. It's important that the view you need of your achievements doesn't need to be the same as your manager - you manager doesn't need to know every single detail of your work and therefore you should create a tab that shows a high level and simplified view of how you are splitting your time, how it ties back to your department's Goals and Business Goals (Business impact).
"Reworked everything based on your feedback. It made me realize I’ve lost some confidence in my work over time. But your perspective really helped me see things more clearly, and I’m starting to feel more confident and energized again. Writing everything down also helped me see the impact I’ve had." - Head of Marketing, B2B SaaS
Present the Full Picture When New Tasks Arrive and Align to Goals
When your manager assigns a new task, you want to take a few steps before saying yes. These are not steps that shoudl take long - with more practice the faster you will assess them as relevant opportunities for you within the business or for your career.
Clarify the expected outcome by asking your manager what final result this new task supports.
Map the task to a department or business objective to see which specific goal or project the work serves. If in doubt, ask your manager.
Evaluate and prioritize time by scheduling the new task into your calendar alongside your existing goal-driven work. When in doubt or working across multiple urgent priorities or when you believe other priorities can have a heavier impact on Goals, check in on prioritization or discuss with your manager.
"Alexia coached me in finding my next role. She was very empathetic to my new working mom lifestyle and helpful in finding something a bit unconventional to help me learn to balance my new lifestyle. She asks very poignant and direct questions to make you think in detail and cover all the bases in setting goals. Once we established goals, I knew exactly what to ask and made sure all the boxes were checked." - Growth Manager, Healthcare
This shifts the conversation from a reactive "yes" or "no" to a collaborative prioritization discussion that is focused on business impact. Not what you or the manager wants or doesn't want.
