Your Directors Won't Tell You This
They're afraid to sound like they're complaining. They assume there's no budget. They're watching their teams burn out in silence.
Why They Stay Silent
The fears that keep them from raising the issue
"I'll Look Weak"
"If I tell my VP we're spending too much time on slides, they'll think I can't manage my team's workload."
The irony: Managing workload includes eliminating unnecessary work.
"There's No Budget"
"I've been told we have no budget for new tools. Why bother asking for something I know will get rejected?"
The irony: The budget exists-it's just hidden in labor costs.
"It's Just How It Is"
"Everyone does it this way. If there was a better solution, we'd already be using it."
The irony: Most organizations don't know what they don't know.
"It's Not That Bad"
"Sure, we lose some time to slides, but it's not worth escalating. There are bigger problems."
The irony: $463K/year IS one of your bigger problems.
The Truth Behind the Silence
Your Directors Work Sundays
They spend 5+ hours every week consolidating PM reports into presentations for you. That's work they don't talk about because it happens at home.
5 hrs/week x 2 Directors = 520 hrs/yearYour PMs Work Thursday Nights
Each PM spends 4 hours every week building status slides. They've normalized it, but their families haven't.
4 hrs/week x 10 PMs = 2,080 hrs/yearBurnout Is Building
The best people are quietly looking elsewhere. The ones who stay are disengaging. You won't see it until they leave.
Replacement cost: $150K+ per PMA Typical Week in Your Org
What If You Just... Fixed It?
Give them the tool. Watch the relief.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about supporting your Directors
QWhy don't Directors speak up about slide work burden?
Directors face a triple barrier: (1) fear of appearing unable to manage their team's workload, (2) assumption that there's no budget for solutions, and (3) belief that "this is just how it's done." They normalize the burden rather than escalate it.
QHow do I bring this up without making my Directors defensive?
Position it as organizational efficiency, not individual management failure. Say: "I've been analyzing our process costs across the division and identified presentation work as a significant time sink. I want to pilot a solution." This frames it as VP-level strategy, not criticism of Directors.
QWhat if implementing this makes me look like I don't trust my team?
The opposite. Giving your team better tools shows you value their time and want to remove obstacles. Most Directors will be relieved. Frame it as: "I want you spending time on strategy and leadership, not slide formatting. This tool handles the administrative work."
QHow quickly will I see morale improvements?
Most organizations report noticeable morale improvements within 2-3 weeks. When your team realizes they're getting their Thursdays and weekends back, the relief is immediate. Directors often report this as one of the best quality-of-life improvements they've experienced.
They Can't Ask for This Themselves
But you can give it to them. And they'll remember who did.