# How to Manage an Employee Who Always Says They Are Too Busy

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-manager-s-hour-with-fexingo-people-management-team-building-and-leadership-skills-7871622/how-to-manage-an-employee-who-always-says-they-are-too-busy
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-manager-s-hour-with-fexingo-people-management-team-building-and-leadership-skills-7871622/how-to-manage-an-employee-who-always-says-they-are-too-busy.md
Podcast: [The Manager's Hour with Fexingo: People Management, Team Building, and Leadership Skills](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-manager-s-hour-with-fexingo-people-management-team-building-and-leadership-skills-7871622)
Published: 2026-06-26T04:34:19+00:00
Episode link: https://audio.fexingo.com/business/the-managers-hour/episode-0075.mp3
Audio file: https://audio.fexingo.com/business/the-managers-hour/episode-0075.mp3
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Duration seconds: 483

## Resource

In Episode 75 of The Manager's Hour, Lucas and Luna tackle a challenge every manager has faced: the employee who consistently says they are too busy to take on new work, help colleagues, or even attend meetings. But is it really a workload problem, or something else? The hosts break down the difference between genuine overload and the 'busy badge' culture, share a specific case of a marketing manager who claimed to be 80-hour weeks yet produced average output, and offer three concrete diagnostic questions to figure out what's really going on. They also discuss how to have the conversation without making the employee defensive, and when to redesign a role versus coach a behavior change. No platitudes, no 'just prioritize better' — just specific techniques rooted in observation and trust. If you have a team member who perpetually seems swamped, this episode will give you a framework to get past the busy claim and find the real bottleneck. #TooBusy #WorkloadManagement #OverworkCulture #BusyBadge #TimeManagement #TeamProductivity #EmployeeCoaching #ManagerTips #Delegation #CapacityPlanning #WorkLifeBalance #PeopleManagement #LeadershipSkills #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TheManagersHour #Episode75 #ManagementAdvice Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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