Many organizations are being challenged by The Great Resignation, which leaves the remaining workforce short-staffed and with built-up workloads.

“There are a couple of common solutions for staffing shortages: hiring replacement employees and outsourcing lower-level tasks,” says Margaret M. Luciano in her article in the Harvard Business Review.

Here are three strategies to mitigate the the burden of overworked staff.

• Rethink Project Calendars. “It’s critical to prioritize projects and defer what you can,” mentioned Luciano. “What you can’t defer needs to be implemented more strategically and scheduled more carefully — preferably sequentially,” writes Luciano.
• Prioritize Core Client Needs. “Does every client really need a personal phone call every week or might some be satisfied with a call every quarter accompanied by automated weekly emails or monthly newsletters?” asks Luciano. “You may need to prioritize your core clients over having a large portfolio of clients.”
• Find Quick Interventions. “Could three levels of approval be reduced to one or could the dollar amount requiring approval be increased?” appealed Luciano. “Bring in external consultants or human resources to manage much of the design and rollout of the interventions to avoid further overwhelming an already overstretched workforce.”