Is this normal? IT - Senior Manager

[CointreauQuaint]

I've lost site of what’s normal.

I get roughly 100 emails a day, prob 80% of these require attention.

In the background I get probably double that amount of teams messages, again, a high percentage require my attention.

I am booked onto calls almost none stop 8am - 530. I generally know one will get cancelled / finish early to allow me to eat something. (Normally biscuits / somethings stood in front of fridge).

I have 25 in my team, 21 of which are direct reports who need a 121 at a min of once every 2weeks.

of course on top of this is all the development type work I’m meant to do, plus also strategy for my department, objectives for the next year etc.

I work typically 7am to 6pm, with evenings / weekend as I can fit in.

I just can’t physically get through everything. Is this just normal now?

Normal I’m afraid.

Yep, its the pits. I permanently feel like I am drowning.

Do you manage to get to actual work? I feel like I just spin plates.

21 direct reports? I thought the recommeded was 5-7? If you could change that hierarchy that would ease some burden. Look for opportunities for promotion and for some of them to take on some of the meetings/responsibilities.

21 is far too many direct reports - is that intentional? If so then I'd be wanting HR to be looking at org design/spans and layers because that cannot be an effective model when you are clearly having to do a lot of the doing yourself.

I've seen an increasing amount of people having an auto response on Teams asking senders to consider if its a Teams appropriate query (quick answer) or should it be an email instead (more in depth, may need more time to respond, may be delegated to a team member for action). Maybe implement something similar so that expectations are managed.

In my org, you'd be expected as a senior manager to manage your calendar appropriately and structure the team to allow for the delivery of work. Is yours the same?

If so, start by delegating all of your meetings one afternoon next week and put together a better team structure, so you have fewer direct reports. Delegate responsibilities to them so you don't need to be in every meeting. Do you have processes in place so everyone knows what they can do/what needs escalation? If not, create them (by which I mean delegate the drafting of and you review)

Is all work like this? Yes, if you let it, unfortunately. And it's hard to not let it, but it's important. Otherwise you do everyone else's job and not your own

Stop the overtime - report up your line what will not happen

consider moving the experienced people onto monthly 121 or make many of them 15 min slots

21 is too many line reports, but schedule the 121s in your diary, then you won't be booked on calls.

Block out other time as you need it too.

I'm not senior, but fairly normal from what I see. I would suggest also booking in a lunch hour every day. Even if you don't take it, you can use it for catchup.

you need to utilise your calendar, 30 min 'lunchbreak' locked out daily.

why 2 weekly 121s? even just extending these to 3/4 weeks will give you some breathing space - again calendar book the next one when you fish the first so noone can take the time off you.

I allocate 1 hour a day to emails
1 hour a day to teams.

I have an auto response on my emails that my response time can be up to 48 hours (allows for me to put any non urgent ones to one side)

Agree - there are no rewards for covering up lack of resources except more work to be piled on to you.

Prioritise, book your diary out. Why are you having fortnightly 121s? how long are they?

This.....
Your work load and effort is not normal. I'm very senior in finance. Auto email sorting leaves me with 10 a day that actually need attention. Weekly 1-2-1s ..... if you work with your staff, you shouldn't need this, ask them if you made it monthly, would it suit them, I'm guessing they'd say yes. Really consider what calls and meetings actually add value, and reject others. Say 'No' more often.

Normal and a necessary part of people management.