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- Managing Overload: Part 2
The Daily Challenge
You're outnumbered.
You have a ratio of 5, 10, or even 15 or more engineers to 1 lead, architect, or subject-matter expert.
When things are quiet and no one has questions, you work like an engineer.
When things aren't quiet, it can feel like a tidal wave; a silently coordinated barrage of questions, needs, and assists that all flood in at once.
Now you’re outnumbered and underwater.
Enter solution #2 to keep yourself and your team sane and productive.
The Second Solution
Like the first recommendation, this one may also sound unkind or removed. But it saves my sanity and keeps everyone informed.
All requests for help must go through a ticketing system.
Company help desk resources do it.
Software teams do it in Jira.
The deli counter does it.
Why can't you? Does it feel impersonal?
It isn't. Just like how the sudden mountain of questions and the derailment of your thought processes aren't personal.
It's business.
When I implemented this practice by necessity, I was surprised by how well-received this was by my teams.
But, how can you make this process as frictionless and agreeable as possible?
The Tools
The secret is in good tooling, clarity, automation, and not making the process a barrier.
Let's break these down.
Tooling
Corporate help desk and customer service forms feel like something from 1997.
I direct my colleagues to a simple, modern Jotform page. Once they fill it out, it redirects them to a Trello board where their ticket is queued and shows what's in line ahead of them.
Both the form and board are shared with the team as public links.
The request form which doesn’t get in the way, but makes my colleagues think before asking.
Clarity
Clear communication is key.
That’s why I use a 4-column, 4-tag Trello board to show exactly what to expect.
The 4-column, 4-tag Trello board
Columns: All new tickets get added to a non-prioritized backlog column. The next column shows all tickets I've triaged. The final two columns show what's in progress and what I've completed.
Tags: All triaged tickets get 4 tags: a label (like Code Review, Architecture Review, Design Review, etc.), priority, level of effort, and my anticipated starting date. I tag each ticket manually once I receive them.
A close-up of a card with each of its tags.
No more wondering why their ticket isn't top-priority or if I've been idle. All work for the past, present, and future is here.
Automation
Jotform has native integrations with both Trello and Slack.
After the form is submitted, a new card is added to the Trello board’s backlog with all relevant details and I get notifications in Slack.
All of this took just minutes to set up with a free Jotforms, Trello, and Slack account.
A Slack notification from a colleague’s submission.
Low Barrier to Entry
Don't ask for a ton of details. My form has only 3 questions:
A confirmation that you really have tried your best.
A JIRA ticket number.
A brief explanation of what you need.
If you want people to use this system, make it easy.
This is more about getting a queue going than about milking every last drop of detail from each request.
Why It Works
Aside from the obvious benefits of clarity, order, and communication, I’ve seen a few other benefits from this approach.
It gives you the full story up front. There is something about a form and not having the option for a back and forth dialogue that makes people give a more complete picture the first time.
It gives people a healthy pause. My form has a checkbox asking the engineer to confirm they really need my help. This prevents knee-jerk reactions and excessive, low-effort questions.
It communicates overload. If you really have too much on your plate, the board will show it.
You can pivot. When a higher priority task is given to you, your shift in focus is clear.
Once you get over the impersonal feeling of this lightweight process, you and your team will quickly see all of these benefits.
Nudge people to use it.
Save your sanity.
Clarity is a gift to you and your team.