13.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth indicates the amount or capacity that something can handle at any one time. Unfortunately, as technology gets faster and faster and increasingly mobile, we’ve unintentionally started to tether the bandwidth of technology to the bandwidth of people. Sorry folks! These are two totally separate things.
Let’s Level Set, Shall We?
Within the 24 hours of every day, there is only so much any one person can accomplish. Some tasks are quick and easy; others require much more time, thought, and effort. Also, what takes one person a few minutes to do can take another quite a bit longer (we’re all unique individuals!).
And then there’s a little thing called priority. If something needs to be done immediately or simply can’t be rescheduled, we often have to make it work and get the job done. Unfortunately, our normal work does not stop flowing in like a mighty, raging river, and it can be hard to remember how to tread water, let alone swim.
So, if we start each day with the same 24 hours, what does that look like in terms of bandwidth? This chapter presents a few tips to keep your company running like a well-oiled machine without making employees feel like they’re just cogs.
Protect the Environment
When it comes to bandwidth and (potentially unintentionally) encroaching on someone’s limits, you need to consider your environment. Your work environment, that is (although your work environment might include a few plants, so who are we to suggest they don’t overlap?).
Is your work environment open and inviting enough that an employee would be comfortable approaching you if they felt like they were reaching max capacity? Have you created a welcoming space that encourages openness and communication? Have you communicated that to your staff? Even a virtual workplace can have an “open door policy” if handled correctly.
It is much easier to be proactive and intentional about creating an open and communicative work environment. You want your people to come talk to you as soon as they’re feeling stressed, rather than trying to push through and burning out because they reached max capacity long ago but were too scared to talk to you about it. Of course, this is a two-way street—if someone is naturally shy or finds it difficult to speak their mind they still need to be willing to tell you if they’re overwhelmed. Otherwise, they really have no one to blame but themselves.
No matter who you manage, it’s still your job to manage them and the environment you occupy. You may need to make a point to communicate openly with your employees in addition to simply creating space for them to communicate openly with you. Consider asking how their bandwidth is during your weekly check-in meetings; don’t just ask how it is within their current workload, but also on a broader scale. Consider asking what one thing they would take off their plate if given the opportunity, and use their answer to gain some insight into how they are balancing their work. You should also consider asking them how technology can offer more support in the virtual workplace; or perhaps it’s one of the reasons they need more support in the first place.
Be Realistic With Your Expectations
As a supervisor, it is not your responsibility to know how to do every single task your staff performs. But you do need to understand how much time is required for your staff to do their jobs well and efficiently. If you do know how to do a task, imagine yourself doing it. If you don’t know all the ins and outs of a task, ask an employee to keep track of the time they spend on it. How much time does that task realistically take to complete? Is it actually possible for one person to complete everything included in their job description? Is there a better way to distribute all of the work? Is there a way that makes more sense? There are lots of things to think about, but this is all part of achieving—or maintaining—that managerial “rock star” status!
In fact, many tech collaboration and communication platforms have the ability to track the amount of time spent on a project, if you turn those features on. It’s important to recognize that implementing a time tracking process may spark some initial anxiety among your employees. And yes, if implemented incorrectly, the tracking might make them feel like Big Brother is trying to squeeze every digital second or penny out of them. That’s why transparency and open communication is so important! If you’re open about the purpose and intent—you want to help them use their time wisely and avoid burnout—time tracking can be a fantastic tool in your virtual toolkit.
The real message here is that you should always be communicating with your staff about what they’re doing and then evaluating how it’s affecting their workload. This also means that you may have to occasionally adjust job descriptions and shuffle tasks to create a better balance. Be open to this. Sometimes adjustments need to be made and that’s OK. This is all part and parcel of creating the best possible work environment. Keep the lines of communication open with your staff (see the communication chapter for more advice). You’ll thank us later!
The Elephant in the Room
OK, we can’t move away from this topic without talking about the bandwidth elephant in the room: What are the parameters for working remotely? In a proximity position, it’s very easy to see when a person is working—they arrive at the building, they work at their desk, and then they leave the building when they are finished. But just because your remote staff doesn’t physically come in to a brick-and-mortar office building every day doesn’t mean that they don’t have to follow “regular” work hours. And while the majority of their work is done online, that doesn’t mean they don’t also get work done when they’re offline.
Working remotely does not equate to working constantly. And your staff should not feel as though they have to be available around the clock to remain in good standing. This is another area in which you need to manage your own expectations as a manager. How much you work is up to you—you may be a workaholic who doesn’t mind working 15 hours a day or on the weekend. But we urge you not to project your definition of work hours onto your staff. Set expectations with them—and then remember (and respect!) the expectations that you set.
Be Ready, Willing, and Able to Change
No program, department, plan, or project is perfect. They can always use improvement—and that’s a good thing! We can only grow if we are open to change and willing to make the adjustments necessary to advance our cause. So, if an employee tells you that they are overwhelmed with their workload—in general or even just during an unusually busy time—hear them out. Investigate the situation. Ask questions and be open to making necessary changes to ensure the smooth operation of your department.
Take a minute to consider what responsibilities or projects might be shifted or eliminated altogether. Could technology play an increased or decreased role? We’ve seen it happen many times—an organization has great ideas for new things to implement (projects, programs, and so on), but fails to realize that something else might need to give. Or that learning new things not only takes time, but can temporarily create new problems in the present, even if they’ll eventually solve problems in the future. You cannot keep giving your people additional work without taking away some old, tired things to make room for the new things to be learned and take root. Simply piling on new tasks will put you on the express lane to employee unhappiness and probably cause valuable team members to leave.
To be very clear, we are not saying that you should go into complete upheaval mode every time someone feels a little extra busy. Busy seasons happen, and sometimes everyone just needs to suck it up and soldier through. You also need to keep in mind that some people are pretty quick to over-glorify the idea of being busy. We also hate the thought of burdening other staff members with more work because of one squeaky wheel. You need to understand and accept that sometimes things are imbalanced. As the manager, it is your job to see it and then determine how to return balance to your department.
A Few More Thoughts
Solicit feedback from your staff on a regular basis. That starts with creating an open and welcoming environment for communication. Make sure that regular communication with your employees is a priority. Ask leading questions on a regular basis to make sure you’re always touching on issues related to bandwidth.
Investigate and be willing to change where necessary. Understand what is required of the positions that fall under your authority. But also give your staff the opportunity to work out imbalances between themselves—this will help them feel empowered.
Don’t take advantage of your staff. Your employees work to live, not live to work! Don’t assume that working remotely means they’re working constantly. Avoid sending staff text messages “after hours,” unless it is a true emergency.
Manage your own expectations. When you work is up to you. Set communication standards with your staff and stick to them like they mean something. Because they do.
Signing Off
Everybody has a limit. Everyone has a certain bandwidth that they work within—and it’s different for everyone. As a manager, you need to find the balance between “Sorry, this is what the job requires” and “Sure, let’s figure out what can be changed.” You can’t classify every cry of maximum bandwidth as DEFCON 1; you also can’t ignore every cry for help on the basis of “the job is the job is the job.”
Know your people. Understand them and their positions. This will be your best and most productive approach to ensuring that your staff and the work you are all responsible for completing are as balanced as possible. Remember that just as technology slows down as we reach its bandwidth limits, so too do people. In that way, the two are similar.