Insight 6: Managing workload and information flow

The level of information flow into and out of an SES office is significant. The ability of an individual to process hundreds of emails, maintain meeting schedules and make multiple formal and informal decisions in the course of daily operations means that many public servants are constrained in their ability to readily inform themselves. In one case, a respondent received an average of 4,000 emails per month over the course of their role. Such information flow is excessive and it is unrealistic to expect senior leaders to reasonably manage, let alone absorb, this amount of information in addition to managing issues that arise every day, while supporting their staff and fostering positive workplace culture. The overwhelming volume of information that is sent to senior leaders is exacerbated when more junior staff adopt a practice of routinely and uncritically escalating information to their managers as a risk mitigation tactic. The Taskforce observed examples of more junior staff sending important emails to their managers with no indication of its importance and with no critical analysis. In the maelstrom of high volume information flow, a senior manager may fail to appreciate the significance of a particular piece of information unless alerted to its significance.

The SES are not passive distribution hubs of information. The Taskforce repeatedly heard about time pressured responses to critical issues. The Taskforce heard that a failure by a senior leader to respond to a particular piece of information was interpreted by more junior staff as an endorsement and awareness of the issues. Agencies, where the span of control at SES level may be larger owing to operational capability, should support SES officers to ensure their workload, combined with time pressures and significant information flow, does not impede their capacity to perform their role with care and diligence.