In order to get some tips on dealing with a high workload I ventured onto Wikihow and an article titled "How to complete a high volume workload." In reading it I tried to relate the experience of these tips to my own high volume workload and though what a load of codswallop. The word "codswallop" is English slang, possibly closely related to cockney and means rubbish or nonsense. I am unable to trace the origins of it at this moment.
Wikihow's 7 solutions broken down
1. Create an organized work area. Now if you happen to work in a hot desking environment it means you do not have a set desk to sit at, you can not return to the same desk or guarantee the same desk each day. It also implies you are stupid enough not to understand how important organization is in a high volume work environment. So the suggestion is equally demeaning to the individual who reads it. This raised the heckles and inspired the writing of the critique.
2. Think about how your workload is increasing. If you are already in a high volume workload environment it is usually quite apparent why your workload is increasing, but thinking about it doesn't actually improve the situation, there is no solution in understanding why your workload is high the solution is in how you deal with it. Yes I have a fecking high pile of work on my desk which is the result of idiots in the IT department who can't get a fecking thing right because last week they had all cued up to have their third lobotomy. I got it on good authority the head of IT is now a goldfish and their IQ has shot off the scale.
3. Now this one made me laugh and I searched for the cream pie to ram it hard in the face of the Wikihow author who wrote it. Again it takes assumptions the reader is an idiot and doesn't already know this. Wiki's solution is, take a moment to review each task, work harder and work more accurately on the task and get it right first time. Fecking codswallop, because any sane person would already know they are working harder than they have already worked before, they already understand the importance of getting something right first time and not wasting further hours doing it multiple times. In fact this point does nothing but to help make you feel more stressed in your own high workload environment. I would suggest a large group of overworked volume people get together and seek out the author to then give them a dunce hat and sit them in the corner. This is one possible retribution and for the sake of humanity is the lightest and least offence to read. After all who wants to break the human rights act?
4. Know your priorities. There maybe a little bit of sense in this comment, however let it be known the nature of a high volume workload can often mean it is actually difficult to know what your priorities are, especially if a good part of your day is spent fire fighting. My second name is Fireman Sam, and I always have an extinguisher under my desk. It's very useful. Priorities can clash, be superseded and go out the window with a gust of air. Probably from the fart of the individuals who wrote this well meaning but short sighted set of solutions.
5. Consider the aspects of the work task which get it done. Here the emphasis is on understanding again how to do you work and what part of the task is going to be most important. Although really what this point is saying when you read between the lines "if you don't already know what the most important aspects of a task are, then you really should not be doing it and should be sacked." For if you are already in a high volume work environment it is the volume which is killing you not the tasks, were the same tasks in a low volume environment you'd have no problem. There is a small bit of hope on this solution form Wikihow as it says the person who gave you the task has confidence in you. But equally the person who gave you the task could be overstretched has got nobody else available and you muggings are the only one they can turn to. Of course you can feel good about yourself because there is a suggestion of you are the person for the job. However, feeling good about yourself doesn't actually get the work done.
6. Treat yourself kindly. At last here is a morsel of help which could of been elaborated on more, it could of had an entire web page on how to keep yourself psychologically healthy in a high volume workload environment. Sadly Wikihow does not. The most important solution so far and with very little meat. All I can say is don't ever ask Wikihow how to make a ham sandwich, it will talk a great deal about the bread and give you two words about the ham.
7. And now a hilarious comment with no actual solution at all, as indeed most of the pointers by Wikihow appear to be just that, solution-less dribbles from an idiot with a dunce hat on. Here it states you should take pride in being a go-getter who is on top of their workload. However, you have to keep it up, because they will have no toe rags pulling dead lead legs around. Feck someone give me a slap in the face if this is any kind of solution at all, then cover me in honey and throw me into an infested pit of insects who particularly like honey. Give me a break what planet has this solution come from?
So I learnt absolutely nothing from Wikihow, it was like watching a film with great actors only to see the script was crap, the story was crap and I'd just been shafted for my money at the box office.
If your workplace has put you in a position which makes it a high volume and pressurised environment the best thing you can do is to change your mental viewpoint. Your employer knows what the problems are and your employer doesn't have the capacity to deal with them. If they are unsupportive of you why should you be supportive and break your back doing everything you can. What will happen is you will get burn out. Change your own mental attitude, do your work but don't let this environment because a mental stressor which results in your own breakdown, get your fists up and stay calm and cool as you can. If at the end of the day your employers expectations are so high they can not be met, you have the option of walking. Yet this is usually a stupid suggestion to make because you have responsibilities at home, mortgage to pay, food to put on the table. Put it another way, a stressful workplace and a mental breakdown also want do you home life any good, your mortgage any good or the people you love any good. Ultimately consider, life is short anything can happen and do everything you can in your arsenal of mental crutches to protect your own well being. If this doesn't work, log every incident which is of particular stress to yourself especially diarising discussions. Create an evidence folder and then consider the option of constructive dismissal. Take legal advice on any such decisions, but think how much is your own peace of mind worth, and is your organization supportive in it's duty of care which includes mental as well as physical health?
Wikihow you need to get your act together and learn to answer the question when it is asked and answer it properly.
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