by Margaret Wood, Editor LeadershipFlagship.com

Your boss is one-of-a-kind! She has alot on her mind and entrusts you with some of the most important company projects.  You love the company and you love the work you do.  However,  time management is not one of your boss’s strong suits.

Once again, she is getting on a plane in two hours and forgot to mention she needs a certain report before she leaves,  for which there is simply not enough time to prepare, considering the 101 other projects you have sitting in your inbox.  Not only do you have to make this happen, but you will probably work late and maybe have to aplologize to customers for any delays. By accepting these last-minute requests, you in effect have become your boss’s enabler and have no idea how to make this situation better! However, there are ways to handle this and come out on top!

Your boss’s poor time management skills should not become your crisis

Here are some steps that can help you get this situation under control and turn it into a win-win situation.

Figuring out in advance how you may be able to help your boss get these projects to you in a timelier manner may be challenging. Here are some tips:

1. Start by letting  your boss know how much your appreciate her trust in your ability to get things done
2. Relate that, while you’ve been successfully completing projects so far, your have concerns that working under these type of last minute deadlines could eventually compromise the quality of your work
3. If you’ve missed deadlines, be very diplomatic in recounting some occurences where people became upset
4. Explain that while you don’t mind the workload, working late is also not allowing quality time with your family
5. Suggest ways you think you could improve the workflow together
6. Express that you want to set some processes in place to help things run more smoothly, with less stress and get more accomplished
7. Suggest meeting on a daily/weekly basis to allow everyone to stay ahead of deadlines; set up a shared deadline calendar

A great work-life balance is important to your mental, emotional and physical well-being. Hopefully, you and your rock star boss will come to a meeting of the minds and you can move forward in a healthier workplace environment.