The executive load audit: where senior capacity really goes
Audit the work around a senior role before commissioning support for the person in it. Hidden coordination is part of the demand.
The performance question
A diary shows meetings but rarely captures preparation, difficult conversations or the decisions made between appointments. An executive load audit should reveal which demands only the leader can meet and which arise from unclear processes. It is a capacity exercise, not employee surveillance.
What the evidence supports
HSE recommends task analysis involving the workforce and considering both physical and mental workload. It also warns that work can drift as new activities accumulate. These principles support reviewing actual tasks rather than assuming a job description represents current demand.1
A practical approach
For two representative weeks, let the executive record broad activity categories, preparation time and unplanned requests. Include a demanding period if possible. Review the record with a trusted colleague, identify one activity to stop and one authority to delegate, then agree the resources needed for the remaining commitments.
How to review progress
Repeat only the relevant categories after a month. Compare time released with the capacity consumed by deputies. Keep personal conversations and sensitive content out of the log. If every activity remains essential, raise a portfolio or staffing decision rather than recommending better time management.
Sources and references
- Human factors: Workload Opens in a new tab
Health and Safety Executive
Processing limits, task analysis, workload drift and staffing
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