Work Allocation

Work allocation is about understanding what needs to be done, who will do the work, and when it is needed. To allocate work effectively, you need to understand what your business is about.

Objectives, plans, and their place in business systems

Business systems consist of the steps, processes, and procedures that people have to perform to produce required outputs. Some people feel processes are the building blocks of systems. Others feel it is the other way round.

Tasks

Jobs are collections of tasks. Tasks are specific bits of work that people need to do. You can also think of tasks as the things people need to do to accomplish objectives.

Tasks can stem from business and other organisational plans and also from business systems and processes, as indicated in this diagram.

You may need to complete a detailed job analysis to identify all the task requirements of a particular job.

Plans

Plans provide direction and focus. They coordinate. They communicate objectives and specify the tasks associated with objectives. Often, they allocate tasks to individuals.

When creating a plan, you are normally heading towards a goal or objective. Often, however, there is confusion over what the terms 'goal' and 'objective' mean.

Goals

Goals are statements of general direction or intent. They are broad, timeless, and unconcerned with particular achievements within specific time periods. Goals are aspirations.

'To create winning customer relationships' is a goal.

Objectives

Objectives are specific statements that describe the results to be achieved, when, and by whom, for a goal to be accomplished. They are quantifiable, observable achievements that can be measured. They should be clearly differentiated from the activities required to attain them. Objectives are expectations.

For example, 'To return customer calls within 24 hours of their receipt throughout this fiscal year' is an objective. Objectives are desired future states. A useful guideline in setting objectives is that they should be SMART. This means that they should be:

• Specific. Objectives should be clear, concise, and easy to understand.
• Measurable. Objectives should be measurable and quantifiable. Whether objectives have been achieved should be clear and unambiguous.
• Achievable. Although objectives should stretch and challenge people's capabilities, they should be within reach.
• Results oriented. Objectives should focus on the results (outcomes) to be achieved, not the activities that lead to results.
• Time-bound. When results are required should be clear. It should be possible to track progress towards the objective.

Objectives should also be agreed. Agreement effectively means that work has been allocated and accepted. Agreement may need to include the priorities of objectives. Some objectives may be more important than others.

Despite the distinctions made above, there are no universally agreed definitions of the terms 'objectives', 'goals', and 'targets' and people often use them interchangeably. To avoid confusion, you may need to develop internal organisational definitions, perhaps based on long, medium, and short term time periods. Once you have done this, use the terms consistently.

For example:

Goal:        To achieve excellent customer relations.

Objective:    To reduce the average number of customer complaints received by 10 per cent over the next fiscal year.

Activity

Here are some goals. Develop some objectives to accomplish these goals.

1. To increase sales
2. To write reports
3. To improve my sales skills
4. To develop myself

Performance standards and performance measures

All objectives should be measurable and results-oriented. This means that objectives should contain measures and standards.

Performance measures

You can gauge performance by using measures such as:

• time
• cost
• numbers of customers
• products sold.

Performance standards

Standards specify amounts, such as:

• how much time
• how many dollars
• how many customers.

Examples:

• Errors per thousand transactions is a measure.
• Two errors per thousand transactions is a standard.
• Return on investment is a measure.
• Five per cent return on investment is a standard.

Here are some examples of objectives that include clear standards.

• Sales. To develop five new key accounts that represent gross sales of over $10,000 each by December 31 of this year.
• Customer service. To respond to all customer questions to and/or complaints about ABC Department within 24 hours of their receipt.
• Manufacturing. To increase on-time delivery by 20 per cent over last year, during the 12 months commencing 1 April.
• Marketing. To produce all monthly company newsletters for printing by the 15th of each month and ensure distribution to all staff by the 25th of each month.
• Administrative/clerical. To type, proofread, and adjust for accuracy all required reports for X unit within three days of their receipt, throughout the year.