Is this normal?

[user1471503652]

I have been at my large (but financially struggling) organisation a long time so I might be out of touch with how things work in other places. I am a senior manager level, reporting into a national head of dept.

Due to structural changes and cuts, our dept is stretched beyond words - people regularly off sick, underperforming due to stress, out dated systems and processes - the works. Everything seems a bit broken. I've never known it as bad as this.

In an attempt to 'sort things out' there is a load of projects/changes that have been decided by top level leadership that need to be worked on, developed and launched. Great - things need to change. However, this project work, which includes major process changes, system development, policy changes etc have landed on myself and my few counterparts to 'drive forward' on top our our BAU work.

I am not a software expert, change manager or policy writer - this is not in my job spec and is not my skillset. I am trying my best to keep my team and work above water. The PM is hounding me daily for updates on projects I haven't started nor have the head space to think about.

I'm just curious, is this normal? Does this kind of major change work land with the people 'doing the doing' elsewhere? I'm considering asking my boss/the PM directly what they want/expect me to drop from my duties in order to 'drive the company forward'...

It does sometimes. I usually point out that something has got to give or else delivery for all things are not possible without additional resources. Sounds like you need a Programme or Project Manager to scope out the work for you so you can show management the extent of the work and resource required.

I find it’s best to hit them with facts than it’s too much /I feel subjective stuff so what I’ve done before is said right key components of my job are these and take x hours a week, project a I assume to be y hours, project b z hours etc etc. that’s 57 hours a week, obviously can’t do all that what do you want me to prioritise or deprioritise. It’s just facts, takes the emotion out of it.

Mistake a lot of people make is getting too much work assuming they have to do it all and not asking the question of management. They then get horrifically resentful.

if you do that and get told all of it well you have a bigger problem/ but you’ve done the adult thing.