The ability of a business to take on more and more initiatives is a definitive indication that the organization is doing something right. However, between marketing, customer support and product development, to name a few essential business functions, starting too many initiatives without proper protocols, adequate resources and a large enough team can prevent the team from making effective progress on any of them.
For business leaders to successfully manage the initiatives they start, it's essential that they keep a close eye on internal happenings and hone their skills in recognizing when too many projects have been undertaken. Below, 12 Newsweek Expert Forum members each share one sign that a leader has too many projects going on and how they can take steps to dial back and reduce project quantities for the sake of the overall business.
1. The Inability to Prioritize
Healthcare faces an infinite number of complex activities, from innovating to improve patient outcomes to managing regulatory and compliance requirements. The tipping point comes when people have so much on their plate, can no longer prioritize and don't have time to get to things that are important but not time-sensitive. Leaders then have to be disciplined and take some stuff off the to-do list. - Alexa Kimball, Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess
2. Missed Milestones
One sign a leader has started too many projects is when milestones continually slip and teams appear overwhelmed. To recalibrate, savvy leaders must reprioritize by rigorously evaluating each initiative's alignment with core goals. Press pause on less important projects and harness resources for those with strategic impact. Engaging in this selective process ensures a focus on quality over quantity, setting the stage for tangible achievements. - Joseph Soares, IBPROM Corp.
3. A Decline in Work Quality
A noticeable decline in the quality of work, coupled with missed deadlines, is one sign of a business having too many projects. To dial back, prioritize projects that align with your core objectives, delegate or postpone less critical tasks and ensure your team's workload is manageable. This refocusing will enhance productivity, increase work quality and allow for greater work-life balance and overall fulfillment. - Anna Yusim, MD, Yusim Psychiatry, Consulting & Executive Coaching
4. Lack of Time for Creativity and Breaks
Check your calendar to make sure there's time for creative thinking, unexpected networking and downtime to recharge. It's important to clear space and make room for creativity, taking a step back and reassessing priorities. - Margie Kiesel, Isidore Partners
5. A Sudden Change in Employee Performance
A clear sign that a business leader has started too many initiatives is when team members show signs of stress, frustration or decreased productivity. To scale back, listen to your team, clearly communicate the priorities that align with business goals, delegate tasks and maintain open feedback channels. - Adi Segal, Hapi
6. Overwhelmed Team Members
Dial back needs to occur when team members feel overwhelmed and struggle to prioritize their tasks. A leader should communicate openly with their team, involving them in the decision-making process and discussions around which projects should be temporarily paused. By focusing on a smaller set of initiatives, the team can allocate their time and resources more effectively to ensure progress and success. - Alan Wozniak, Business Health Matters (BHM) Executive Consulting
7. Incomplete Thoughts and Efforts
A tell-tale sign that a leader has started too many initiatives emerges when thoughts and efforts are consistently interrupted and left incomplete. In a stretched-too-thin team, creativity and the drive to collaborate become strained, timelines are missed and frustration levels rise. Energy levels also start to dip, and team members may resort to overdelegation or blaming as a desperate attempt to find relief. - Leah Marone, Corporate Wellness Consultant
8. An Unmotivated Team
One tell-tale sign of being spread too thin is an unmotivated team. If new projects and ideas are stagnating, then it's time to streamline. This means identifying and merging overlapping projects while shelving the low-priority ones for later. Putting your team's well-being front and center will solve the motivation problem. - Gergo Vari, Lensa
9. A Decline in Team Performance and Morale
One sign that a leader has too many projects going on is a decline in team performance and morale. If deadlines are missed, the quality of work is suffering or team members seem stressed, the team is likely spread too thin across too many initiatives. To dial back, assess all ongoing initiatives and prioritize them based on their alignment with overarching strategic enterprise goals and impact. - Britton Bloch, Navy Federal
10. The Inability to Deliver Results
Results speak for themselves. If your team is struggling to deliver real results against a project, it is likely that there is a problem. Have weekly check-ins for key projects, and if you see a lack of progress, this is a key indicator that you have capacity issues. - Krista Neher, Boot Camp Digital
11. Incremental Progress Across Multiple Fronts
One tell-tale sign a leader has too many projects happening is when there's incremental progress on multiple fronts rather than monumental progress on one or two fronts. Most leaders struggle to stop projects and initiatives they started, but two words make communicating this change easier: I've reconsidered. The leader should then explain what has been reconsidered, why and the revised expectations for each employee. - Karen Mangia, The Engineered Innovation Group
12. Organizational Distress
Too many initiatives can cause organizational distress, resulting in overwhelmed teams, resource constraints, quality decline, conflicting priorities, communication breakdown, budget overruns and customer dissatisfaction. To dial back, business leaders can reprioritize initiatives, reallocate resources, empower team decision making and implement agile practices to prevent future recurrences. - Lillian Gregory, The 4D Unicorn LLC
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
