Boss overload

It’s hard to limit your work in progress (WIP) when your boss count exceeds your WIP limit.

 

If you have a WIP limit of three and 12 bosses, you may as well have one card permanently in your personal kanban that says, “Negotiate with bosses.” That sounds funny, but it’s true. Your bosses will always require explanations about why you are working on tasks that are unrelated to their work.

 

I regularly play a game with people called Count the Bosses. The rules are simple: You count your bosses.

If you need more than a few fingers to count them, you know that part of your job is not only satisfying their demands, but also choosing which to be attentive to at any given point in time.

 

Your bosses are people who directly give you work.

To find out how many bosses you have, you simply want a number.

 

How many people are giving you work? Then ask yourself these questions:

• Do these people consult with each other before giving me work?
• Do I feel guilty when I’m working for one when another has needs?
• Am I punished for doing work for one boss over another?
• Am I in the middle of their disputes?
• Will they let me complete tasks before giving me another?
• Do they allow me to complete my work in a way that works for me, rather than working in ways they think I should?

 

In a perfect scenario, your answers will justify your bosses’ right to give you work, but also will give you the ability to complete that work in the best way you see fit.

 

If your answers are not in this direction, it is useful to show on a personal kanban what is really happening. Then discuss this with the bosses around the board. Do not just go talk to them because neither you nor they will have anything physical to talk about. The goal here is to use the board as a mediator. We want the board to reveal how there is too much work in progress, and that the work load itself is hampering your ability to complete things on time.