The Overwhelm Antidote Hidden in How Your Teams Work Together

‘I’m tired already.’ I’ve heard this consistently for the last two weeks from the leaders I coach, and many of these have just come back from summer holidays – they’re tired of the pressure, and they know their teams are, too.

I’ve observed something curious in one client organisation lately – two teams with similar workloads and deadlines are having vastly different experiences. One team feels energised despite the pressure. The other feels depleted by the same demands.

The difference isn’t in the people. It’s in how they’re encouraged to work together.

What we know from research: This is both fascinating and important. Studies show that when teams can self-organise, make quick decisions, and regularly reflect on their work together, they experience less overwhelm — even with unchanged workloads. These practices also boost autonomy, peer support and provide opportunities for useful feedback while reducing feelings of overload, time pressure and unnecessary interruptions.

The impact is significant: teams working in this way show less fatigue and more engagement, not because they have less work, but because of how they approach it.

My POV: Instinctively, we try to solve overwhelm by reducing workload or adding resources. These are both helpful. However, the research also suggests something counter-intuitive: the answer isn’t always less work – it’s giving teams more control over how that work gets done. When teams can organise themselves, make decisions quickly without multiple approvals, and openly discuss what’s working and what isn’t, the same workload feels more manageable. These approaches are meeting our fundamental needs for autonomy, connection, and competence, which naturally combats the drain of overwhelm.

As a Leader, what can you do?

• Let teams own their workflow, not just their tasks. Instead of assigning work with detailed instructions on how to do it, give teams the outcome you need and let them figure out the best path. ‘We need the client proposal by Friday’ versus ‘First do X, then Y, then Z.’ This shift gives teams the autonomy that transforms potentially overwhelming work into energising teamwork.

• Build in regular ‘stop and think’ moments. Carve out time in your existing meeting flow to pause and reflect as a team: What’s working? What’s getting in our way? What should we try differently next week? This keeps small frustrations from becoming major sources of overwhelm. Teams that reflect together also support each other better.

• Create transparency to reduce anxiety. When teams can’t see the full picture, they waste energy worrying. Make work visible: who’s doing what, what’s truly urgent versus what can wait, where bottlenecks exist. This transparency eliminates redundant check-ins and status updates, freeing up time for actual work— but without the stress of the unknown.

What difference will it make? Teams working this way report something remarkable: the work doesn’t necessarily decrease, but it stops feeling overwhelming. When people have control over their approach, support from teammates, and clear visibility into priorities, they maintain energy even during intense periods. You’ll see fewer signs of burnout, better solutions (because teams closest to the work make the decisions), and ironically, faster delivery despite fewer prescribed processes.

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