Workload Management reading list

A beginners guide to AWM | Wonkhe - Useful primer for colleagues taking on academic workload management responsibilities (whether professional services or academic leaders). (article)

Academic Workload Modelling | SUMS Consulting - A briefing paper produced in 2017. (paper).

Academic workloads | Reddit thread - interesting reading (discussion)

The Management of Academic Workloads: Improving Practice in the Sector - the Salford/HEFCE MAW project - Report dates back to 2009 but still high relevance to practitioners, and academic leaders in defining key concepts & success factors. The final report is still available here. (paper)

Academic workload planning: theory into practice | TRAC Development Group - TRAC Workload Planning report from 2019. It includes results of a sector survey, and tips for implementing Workload Planning effectively for TRAC. (report)

Academic workloads: what does a manager need to consider? | Crisp, B. R. (2022), Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 44(6), 547–562. - available via Institutional log in to Taylor and Francis Online.

Why institutions must protect personal academic tutoring at all costs | HEPI -  interesting reading in relation to time allocations for personal tutoring/academic coaching.

How Do I Prioritise When Everything Is A Priority? Addresses common challenges faced by busy managers - feeling overwhelmed by the urgency of tasks. Explores clarifying role purpose, prioritisation and delegation and protecting your boundaries. (podcast)

HBR: Heavy Workloads - Do you or your team have way too much to do? This episode focuses on what to do when you’re struggling to get things done at a new job, a colleague is stressed about their work, or you and your team disagree about whether they’re overworked. (podcast)

Prioritising Workload and Managing Expectations - Explores strategies for handling a busy workload that never seems to have a lull. Covers prioritising workload and communicating  clearly to people so expectations - if not matched, are managed well. (podcast)

Renegotiating Workload in a Win-Win Way - Shares tips for how you can raise problems and challenges around workload, without looking like you are the problem or the challenge. (podcast)

Protecting yourself and others from burnout - Explains the difference between stress, overwhelm and burnout and shares practical tips for noticing and catching it before it takes hold and creates permanent damage to our mental and physical health. (podcast)

Reducing digital distractions - Reduce digital distractions with these easy to use tools as recommended by "The ReDD project". (website) 

How good is work in higher education? | The Wonkhe HE staff survey - Staff on academic contracts were more likely to report being negatively impacted by cost-cuts (65.3 %) vs those on non-academic contracts (47.4 %).

Exploring the motivation and satisfaction of higher education staff | Wonkhe - 

• Recognition, development and autonomy are problem areas: while 80.4 % said “receiving recognition for my hard work” was important, only 33.3 % said they were happy with it (a 47.1 point gap). Similarly ~83 % valued “learning, development and professional growth” but only ~44.3 % were happy with that
• Differences emerge between academic staff and professional/support services staff: e.g., academics placed slightly more importance on autonomy whereas professional services staff placed higher importance on pay & benefits (and were slightly more satisfied with flexibility of work).
• Key recommendations for leaders: better communication, clearer strategy, greater involvement of staff in decision-making, and simple “hygiene” factors (recognition, involvement, transparency) could help bolster motivation even in a resource-constrained environment.