Women leaders are quitting and leaving their companies at higher rates than ever before, according to the most recent study of women in the workplace by the Lean In Foundation.
In search of better work cultures, more support, and recognition for their work, it’s clear women are feeling more confident walking away in pursuit of new opportunities.
Walking away altogether is a fair solution, but for workers who are struggling in roles that have left them burnt out and feeling stuck, a new role may not be in the cards for now. In that case, here are some strategies that can help you feel less strained at work.
(Photo: Getty Creative) ·JGI/Tom Grill via Getty Images
Share your goals and priorities with your manager at least once a month
Women leaders are about 1.5 times as likely as men to say they switched jobs because their workload was unmanageable, Lean In found.
It's far too easy for managers to saddle workers with too much work or work that falls outside of the scope of their duties and responsibilities when there is no clarity around that employee’s key priorities and goals.
Sometimes we expect our manager to have a super clear view of what we are meant to be doing, but we can't take that for granted. If you feel like you're being pulled in way too many directions and being spread too thin, take ownership of your own workload and ask for a sit-down meeting with your manager to discuss what you’re prioritizing now and what goals you’d like to focus on.
The key here is for you to come to them with a list of what you believe to be the best priorities to focus on, and give them an opportunity to give you feedback. Not only will this keep them in the loop for how you're spending your time, but it also might remain in the back of their mind anytime another department asks if you can handle something. When your manager understands clearly what's on your plate, they are more likely to defend that alongside you.
Plus, it’s a lot harder for them to ignore your accomplishments at review time if they are always in the loop.
Invest time in training others
As you work your way up into more senior roles, the transition from individual contributor to leader can be difficult. You are so used to being part of the day-to-day smaller tasks and it’s your automatic instinct to continue managing them. You may even think: “It’s easier to just do it myself because I’ll do it best.”
But as a manager and a leader, you have to know when tasks are better suited to be delegated to other people and what specific goals and priorities you should focus on as the leader. And you have to make peace with the fact that you will need to invest time and energy into training your colleagues, peers, and direct reports to take on those duties. In fact, don't accept a leadership role unless there is a plan in place for you to train and delegate duties that you will no longer have the time to focus on.
Create solutions for your own problems
Oftentimes we end up regretting taking on more challenging roles because we feel like our higher-ups don't understand how much work we have to do, the fact that we feel spread thin, the we don't have the resources needed to achieve goals, and all sorts of other grievances.
The key here is to recognize that even though you may feel like it's your manager's job to figure out what you need to succeed, that’s more than likely not the case. According to Lean In, only 40% of women say their manager helps them manage their workload.
The path to happiness and a softer life at work really begins when you advocate for yourself and learn to speak up and provide the solutions that you feel will best solve the problems you're facing.
The reality is that your manager is spread thin, too. If you come to them with issues and challenges as well as a proposal for a way to solve those challenges, you're ultimately more likely to reach a happy conclusion.
(Photo: Getty Creative) ·Tom Werner via Getty Images
Systems can save your sanity
Think about the biggest pain points during your work day and the issues and challenges that get your blood boiling. More than likely, those issues may be solved if someone sits down and analyzes the systems and processes that are in place to complete projects and overhauls or simplifies them.
Whether it's making a case to start using a task management system for your team or creating documentation of everyday systems and operations and how to complete them, you may save yourself and others a lot of grief. Just keep in mind that those documents should be treated like a living and breathing thing that can be updated and tweaked as business initiatives and other changes occur.
Protect your peace
If you constantly feel as if you're being interrupted during the workday and not really able to get anything done until after hours, that could be a sign that you need to redraw your boundaries.
Block chunks of time on your calendar for focused work and encourage your team to do the same. Share this strategy with your manager as well so they understand. Turn off your Slack and email notifications and you can even create an auto responder for your email to tell people who they can reach out to for any urgent concerns for the next hour.
Don't be afraid that taking a step back will derail your career progression
A recent client of mine decided to step down as a manager and take on an individual contributor role at her company because she needed to spend more time caring for a child with special needs. Other clients of mine have made similar choices for various reasons and all of them have shared the fear that when they are able to take on more demanding roles in the future, they may be judged harshly for having taken that step back.
It all comes down to how you explain your decision-making process during an interview and really owning your choices. Also, be clear on your resume and Linkedin about the impact that you made when you were a leader or in a more challenging role, so that it's clear that you have the skills to jump back in.
Mandi Woodruff-Santos is a career coach, award-winning cohost of Brown Ambition and founder of the MandiMoney Makers, a one-of-a-kind career coaching community for women of color.
