Life is about tasks. They are everywhere: big and small, important and not important, urgent and not so urgent.
Wife asks to book tickets for New Year, I ask the subordinate to prepare the documents for the transaction. I will not book tickets today, tomorrow they will cost more. The employee does not prepare the documents on time - the transaction will be canceled, the company will lose money.
The success of the project or company depends on the result of the tasks. Hence the first problem of any business is the execution of tasks.
The leader wants subordinates to complete tasks accurately and on time. If the task is not completed or completed, but not so, the employee is to blame. The task machine has crashed. The car needs to be replaced. This is the psychology of a leader. And I thought so, until I realized that the reason for the fuzzy execution of tasks is not in the workers.
They are not robots, but smart, thinking, creative and responsible people. I chose them myself. The problem is in me: I, like many managers, do not pay due attention to setting goals.
Effective task formula
Formula effective task, for which workers are accepted with joy and zeal, consists of six simple rules.
1. Define the problem
Behind every leader's task is pain.
If I ask a subordinate to do something, it means that I need it for some reason. But managers do not consider it necessary to explain this to a subordinate. As a result, the employee thinks that the boss just wants to burden the subordinate with routine tasks.
Related article: Where to look for performers to delegate work
For example, I ask the manager to analyze the lead report. The main job of a manager is to work with a client. Analysis distracts from the main work. The manager stupidly collects data and somehow makes a report, just to get rid of a routine and unimportant task as soon as possible.
A correctly set task is a problem that the employee must solve in the best possible way and creatively. This is not an order or a direct instruction.
Solving problems, and not stupidly fulfilling orders, the employee develops. He comes up with out-of-the-box ideas that help the company move forward.
2. Describe the business-wide meaning of the problem
If an employee does not understand why he is preparing the same analysis, he will do it poorly. Explain what will happen to the result of the work after.
Marketers will work with the analysis of the report. Based on the collected data, they will adjust the advertising campaign of the product, which will attract new customers. Conversion will increase, the company will grow.
So the employee will feel the importance of the task for business development.
3. Formulate the essence and conditions of the problem
Describe the result you want to get. If applicable, terms and conditions. Give the manager a clear time frame.
Count the number of leads for the last three months. I need to understand whether the conversion has really decreased. If yes, at what point. Make a list of possible reasons.
4. Explain the timing
Managers often set a deadline for a task, but do not explain why this particular date is important. As a result, for the employee, the deadline is only a day x, by which routine work must be completed.
Related article: Should employees be penalized for any violations?
Analysis is due by Monday. In three weeks, we are starting a large-scale advertising campaign. Marketers will need time to adjust the sites.
You explained to the employee the reason why the task must be completed within a certain period of time. He understands that the work of other people depends on the performance of the task, and he approaches the solution of the problem more responsibly.
5. Motivate
The worker receives a salary. Managers often feel that this is enough to motivate them. But it's not. Employees do not always understand why this or that task fell on their shoulders. Explain your choice to the manager.
The marketer can analyze the data. But I would like you to do it. You know your customers better and gather more information.
The subordinate feels special, a hero, a superman and eager to fight with enthusiasm.
6. Write down the task
If you set the task correctly, but did it orally, and the employee wrote it down in a notebook under dictation, something is sure to be lost. After verbally speaking the problem, make a written summary.
Forming a Habit
Knowing how to set a task to get it done is half the battle. We must constantly apply knowledge in practice. This is not possible without automation. Enough for a week or two. Then there will be urgent matters and you will not describe the task in detail. Once is no big deal. But where once hack-work, there will always be a second and third. Soon you will spit on this disastrous business, and again turn into a distributor of orders for robots.
Something must constantly remind you of the correct setting of tasks so that the scheme becomes a habit. Megaplan helps me. Task setting form - automatic reminder.
The task name is always the desired action. What should your employee do? The answer to the question is the correct formulation of the problem.
Chapter 3: How to properly assign a task to a subordinate? To correctly assign a task to a subordinate, it is necessary to know the false assumptions of the manager. The real world is exactly as the manager sees it Many supervisors assume that the staff should understand them perfectly (“They are adults!”). Yes, they are adults, but each of them perceives what is said in their own way. When communicating with people, we use the same words, but each of us has our own “picture” of what was said. Each of you, reading these lines, imagined a “picture”, an image of a particular situation. And I'm sure that this "picture" is different for everyone. An example from personal practice. As a supervisor, I gave sales reps tasks for each day. When they returned from the area, I realized that some of them were doing something completely different from what I wanted. I set the task as follows: "You need to enter into cooperation with two outlets." Someone brought two new contracts, and someone brought orders from new outlets. In fact, I meant that each sales representative should bring orders for branded items from two new outlets. Everyone is working towards the same goals. Many managers push their subordinates: "Strive for big earnings The organization in which you work wants you to grow, develop and become a professional in your field." In fact, each person has his own goal. Some just want to work, some just want to grow, some want to live comfortably, some want to live freely, and so on. successful in the organization. But this is far from being the case - everyone perceives the task assigned to him in his own way. Someone perceives it as a desire for growth, someone as another problem from the organization. Remember, we each have our own goals. Facts speak for themselves and carry the same information for everyone This assumption can be refuted as follows. Give your subordinates all the information that pertains to their performance and ask, "How can you evaluate your performance?" An example from personal practice. I recently asked supervisors to evaluate the performance of the sales department on the following data: sales volume, return of receivables, number of outlets, number of orders along the route. From my point of view, the work of the sales department could be assessed as mediocre. One of the supervisors rated it as "excellent", another - "above average", the third - "very bad". Let me remind you that each of us used the same data. To correctly assign a task to a subordinate, you need to remember the following things: 1. The task must be specific otherwise how do you know the task is done. The sales representative must have tasks for the day, which he can transform into tasks for each outlet. The supervisor should also have tasks for the day, which he can transform into tasks for each sales representative. An example of a task setting by a supervisor for a sales representative: “Today, by the end of the day, I am waiting for the task to open 2 new outlets. The criterion for opening a new outlet is an order made for two branded positions "X" and "Y". If the outlet makes an order for only one brand, then the task is not considered completed. The conclusion of a cooperation agreement is also not considered the completion of the task. The fulfillment of the task is considered only the order placed in two new outlets and for two brands "X" and "Y". An example of setting a task by the head of the sales department to the supervisor: “Today, by the end of the day, I am waiting for the completion of the task of opening 5 new outlets in your area. The criterion for completing the task is: Made an order for two branded positions "X" and "Y" for each outlet; Two new outlets are to be opened in the area of lagging sales rep Ivanov. !!! Tasks for sales representatives are set only by the supervisor. 2. The task must be positive. Demand what you want, not what you do not want from a subordinate. An example of an incorrect statement of the problem: "I should not see you in the office until you open new outlets." If the task is not completed, the subordinate will most likely hide from you, because you gave him the installation: "I should not see you in the office until ..." The correct statement of the task: "Today, by the end of the day, I am waiting for you in the office with a report on the implementation of the tasks." You thereby give the installation to the subordinate that you are waiting for him. When setting a task, pronounce the words clearly, making a logical emphasis, expressing your readiness to get what you need. When you act confidently in articulating your thoughts, demanding what you need, and expressing your intention to stand up for your demands, you exhibit a demandingness that gives you an air of authority. 3. Check the understanding of subordinates assigned to him tasks. Often, when setting a task, the manager does not provide feedback on the understanding of the task by subordinates. After setting the task, ask: “So, let's sum up the results of our meeting. How did you figure out what you need to do today?” And listen, listen, listen ... When you learn to listen, you will know: That each person understands the tasks assigned to him in his own way, and then you will be able to correct his understanding in a timely manner; That a person does not always want to complete the task, and this is reflected in his voice and behavior. In this case, the subordinate needs to explain why it is necessary to do this, that is, to show the importance of completing the task. 4. Encourage action. After setting the task, encourage the subordinate to take immediate action. For example, say: “So, the task is clear? Then go ahead! Stand up vigorously and gesture to the door. Often people lack the impetus to act. A leader is a catalyst for his subordinates. Do you want to be a leader? Encourage action. Do it today. 5. Monitor the execution of the task. Everyone strives for comfort, and each of us has our own comfort zone. When we set goals, we influence a person's comfort zone, and he begins to resist. The subordinate will take full responsibility for the task only if you waited for him and asked about the task completion on the same day. And so every time. If you did not ask him once about completing the task or did it late, then the next time the subordinate will perceive the task as a wish. When meeting with a subordinate to check on their performance, start vigorously: "Well, tell me about your achievements today." If you do this vigorously, then you will let the subordinate know that you were waiting for the task to be completed. By the behavior of the subordinate, you will understand his internal state: “done”, “done, but not all”, “did not comply”, “I don’t care”. This information will be useful to you for follow-up feedback. Memo to the manager on how to assign a task to a subordinate: 1.
Set the task specifically. 2.
Set the task positively. 3.
Check the understanding of subordinates of the task assigned to him. 4.
Encourage immediate action. 5.
Monitor the completion of the task in a timely manner. 2.2. How to set the right target in trading? It is important to correctly define the goal, correctly and clearly formulate it. Let's figure out how to do this. To do this, you need to ask yourself four questions: what do you want; how much we want; how to implement it; when we want it Chapter 3. HOW TO MANAGE MONEY CORRECTLY? Theoretically, money worries us in two cases: if it is not taken anywhere or if it disappears somewhere very strongly. You, of course, tried to understand why this is happening. But, I must tell you, in Vedic times, about 70% of the population Chapter 5 "Growing" useful connections correctly HOW NOT TO BET ON A LOSSER? According to mainstream free market economics, examples like the successes of POSCO, LG, and Hyundai described above simply shouldn't have happened. Theory tells us that capitalism works best when Chapter 13 Chapter 29: How to Effectively Set a Goal? Goal setting is the most important step in any endeavor. If you don't know where you are going, then you will end up nowhere. If you are going with the flow, then you are going nowhere. If you do not determine your destination, then you will have a long Chapter 11 Putting on Your Own Show: The Three Cs and the IBM Opera When putting on a show for consumers (as in the examples we looked at in Part I), the company usually co-drives the project with an outside creative agency. Conversely, a show-style business for an internal audience Doing the right thing because it's the right thing Conscious business adheres to a simple but powerful rule: doing the right thing for the right purpose usually leads to good results over time. If we "cherish the result" too much, as the Buddha said, How to formulate a task? The task is formulated on the basis of six components: 1. The subject of the action: who should perform the task; 2. The action itself: what the subject must do to carry it out; 3. The result of the action: the expected result; 4. Deadlines; 5. Information Chapter 5 Making Time Tracking Work for You How many times a week do you or your colleagues say, “I just don't understand where the time is going?!” Many people sigh in resignation, believing that there is no way to fix this. But since you are reading our book, you probably decided to understand where to 4. Formulate the problem This step can be the most difficult when building a DRC from right to left (Fig. 4.18). Determining why a certain action is necessary may not be difficult. But going to the next level and finding the main goal is often not so easy. 2. Formulate the problem As we showed earlier, as a problem, you need to formulate a statement that is the opposite of the key problem of the system. So, the first step in this method is completely logical, because it is easier to formulate the converse statement (Fig. 4.24) than to guess why 2. Formulate the problem As we showed earlier, as a problem, you need to formulate a statement that is the opposite of the key problem of the system. So, we have decided on the task (Fig. 4.28). The first step in this method is completely logical and easier to complete than to formulate the problem in 1. Set a Goal What are you trying to achieve by building a change plan? Formulate your problem using present tense verbs and write it in the rounded box at the top of the diagram (Figure 7.15). Why are you using Chapter 2 Getting the Right Approach to a Problem Knowing abstractly about how McKinsey solves problems doesn't mean you're going to conquer the world armed with that knowledge. No two problems are the same - each must be solved individually. In this chapter, I Chapter 5. How to run a business and get things going How to recruit your team and organize your workflow Work only with people who are proactive, who don't need to be pushed around and who are ready to work for results. Do not under any circumstances take Recently, the permanent president of Belarus, a strong business executive and main patriot A. G. Lukashenko effectively and ruthlessly punished a dozen high-ranking leaders for a long absence of results, and this process was covered on television throughout the country. Here is that video:
Impressive, right? How he them! We would have! But I have a contemplation of this action causes mixed feelings. The problem with publicly condemning your subordinates is that there is always a share of your own guilt in their mistakes. That is, by condemning them, you condemn yourself. And while you're practicing eloquence, that's what they're thinking about. I strongly suspect that Alexander Grigoryevich, like any leader, is to blame for the failures of his subordinates. Of course, it is difficult to draw unambiguous conclusions, sitting in a cozy Moscow apartment, while the Belarusian guarantor bravely kneads the dirt and burns heresy on his patrimony, but still I will risk making some generalizations. So, what is the role of the leader in the failures of his subordinates and what rules ensure the success of the tasks? Leader mistakes: Does this task conflict with your other priorities? Leader mistakes: Test question to subordinate: How did you understand what you need to come to? Leader mistakes: Test question to subordinate: How will you achieve results? Leader mistakes: Test question to subordinate: Do you have enough resources and authority to achieve results? Leader mistakes: Test question to subordinate: How and to whom will you report on the progress of work? See also: And what secrets of task setting do you use? Share in the comments below!
The effectiveness of a leader depends on how well his subordinates work. His competence includes the ability to give tasks so that they are completed exactly as required. However, this does not always work out. It happens that the employee did not hear, did not understand, misinterpreted and then write wasted. How to give instructions correctly so that they are carried out flawlessly? To do this, follow the following six-step algorithm. Yes, you didn't think so. Zero step. First of all, you need to choose the right moment. It is best to arrange to meet in a separate office where you can explain the task without distractions. If you decide to just briefly distract an employee when he is busy with some kind of work, then you risk not conveying the meaning of the task at all. Most likely, he will immediately forget the new task, because he will return to what he was doing before you arrived. Even worse, if you risk catching and loading a subordinate somewhere in the hallway or dining room. What methods should be avoided altogether? The main requirement for setting a task is feasibility. That is, it is necessary to soberly assess the capabilities of the employee and answer the following three questions. Will he be able to complete the task? Does he have the skills and knowledge? Does he have enough time or is he busy? Carefully set goals for growth, for which the employee needs to surpass himself. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting a demotivated, frustrated and with a nervously blinking eye employee who “couldn’t” at the end. The task set must be SMART, that is, meet the following requirements: S - Specific - Specific. The goal should be as specific and clear as possible. The employee needs to understand what specific result is required of him. M - Measurable - Measurable. Set clear criteria for completing the task. Spatial and vague goals in the style of "increase sales" will remain misunderstood. Well, really, how else to understand that the task is completed? A - Achievable - Achievable. The goal must be realistic and achievable. R - Relevant - Significant, relevant. The task must be important and make sense. When an employee understands that he will make such and such a contribution to the development of the company, he will be more responsible in solving the problem. T - Time bound - Limited in time. Be sure to include a deadline for the task. Provide the employee with everything necessary to solve the problem - from material and information resources to human. Do not forget to think about the moment of junction with other departments. If the task requires resources that someone else should provide, then be sure to coordinate this with him. Who will oversee the execution of the task? In what form will it take place - reports in in electronic format or oral presentations at meetings? What is the lead time? All these questions need to be answered. The employee must clearly understand how and who will control him. Try to feel the personal motivation of the employee, which will increase his productivity. Create interest in the task. It is important for someone to say that he will help you personally and the company, and for someone that the task is interesting and will be a great incentive for professional growth. Those who strive to be the best in everything can be motivated by rivalry with another employee. After you set the task for the employee, check if he understood you. And you need to not just ask if everything is clear, but ask to explain how he understood the task. In what order should it be done? Until what time? What should be the result? The more complete his answer is, the clearer you conveyed the task. At first, such an algorithm may seem cumbersome to you. Still, formulate, write down, explain, motivate ... But after a while it will no longer seem difficult, and the quality of execution will be much higher. And the task will not need to be explained a hundred times and redone. In general, there are only pluses. Why does the business not bring the desired results, profits do not increase, the enterprise does not develop? Often managers shift responsibility to incompetent, in their opinion, staff or write off everything on bad luck. But the reasons are different. The first thing that every entrepreneur should pay special attention to is the competent setting of tasks. After setting goals and objectives, you should understand what to do to achieve them. The following stages of task setting are distinguished: The definition of goals for the future is closely related to the concepts of mission, strategy, and tasks. Mission- this is the global goal of the organization, its main purpose. The mission is not always financial in nature. It can reflect what the company is striving for, what it is working for, what it is ready to offer its consumer in particular and the population in general. Strategy is the selection of specific methods for solving the problems that the company has set for itself. The strategy is developed after the organization's mission statement has been successfully completed and the results of the SWOT analysis have been received. Here it is important to use the resources available to the company as efficiently as possible, to find new opportunities, to discover and realize the internal potential. The concepts of mission and strategy are associated with the long-term development of the company. As for the tasks, they are determined for a shorter period, taking into account the current situation of the enterprise, the interests of management and the impact of the external environment. The owner of the company is solely responsible for setting and explaining the tasks. This is his priority right. The editors of the magazine " CEO”picked up basic, but not obvious principles that will help you get rid of unnecessary tasks and focus on the main thing. Ask yourself a few questions from the article and find out how ready you are to delegate. According to business coaches, a top manager of any organization can set tasks for the staff in three different, but effective ways: You can use any method - it all depends on the situation. The first correlated with authoritarian managerial style. The head of the company alone makes all decisions without discussing them with the staff. In such cases, employees may not even have an idea about the goals of the firm, but simply carry out their labor obligations. But if management acts like this all the time, the team will not be sufficiently interested in the work. Statement of tasks of general and individual purpose - more liberal way. Employees jointly discuss future plans, which increases their level of interest and motivation. The fact that employees are not focused solely on performing their duties only benefits them. They realize how important it is to work together in order to achieve common goals. Third way involves a very competent formulation of tasks. Its main advantage is that the staff is maximally interested in achieving common goals. Each employee understands what place is assigned to him, and how significant his participation in solving the problems of the company is. Setting tasks for subordinates in the third way has many advantages over the others. However, this approach is rarely used. During operational meetings, management usually briefly and clearly talks about the company's goals for a short period of time. reporting period without lengthy discussions. The best results from using this method can be achieved when holding development meetings and wrap-up meetings. Each employee present at them is aware of the mission of the company, feels his involvement in achieving goals and is motivated to solve important problems. Rule 1 Individual approach to each employee. Tasks, as well as the style of leadership, must be appropriate to the competence and type of employee. Rule 2 Order execution tracking. You should monitor the intermediate results of the task (at least 1 time). It is necessary to carry out a final control after the expiration of the period allotted to the employee. Rule 3 Discussion of planned actions. When planning and making difficult decisions, management should consult with at least one employee who is affected by a particular task. The opinion of competent experts should also be taken into account. Management needs to set only a goal for the employee, giving the right to independently choose the path to achieve it. A good option would be to discuss with the employee the chosen way to achieve the goal and jointly prepare an implementation plan. Rule 4 Checkpoint rule. Control over intermediate results after assigning a task (at least 1 time). Carrying out the final control at the end of the period allotted to the employee to complete the task. Rule 5 Evaluation of the result. The management, controlling the intermediate results of the work, must always inform the employee about the quality of the tasks performed by him. Rule 6 Determining authority when assigning tasks. The manager, setting a goal for an employee, should always be interested in what is needed to achieve it, and provide appropriate resources and authority. Rule 7 Work on mistakes. It is very important to keep statistics of repeated errors. Tell staff about error statistics. Conduct explanatory conversations if repeated mistakes occur. The staff must know what this or that error threatens, and the management must be shown how to perform tasks. If an employee repeats a mistake 3 or more times, appropriate sanctions should be applied to him, determined in advance. If an employee corrects a mistake made earlier, you should immediately encourage him: praise, recognize the quality of the work performed. Stage 1.Situation choice. It is best to go to a separate office at a predetermined time, turning off all phones in parallel and eliminating external interference. Of course, you can attract the attention of an employee in a work environment by asking him to take a short break and telling him about the goals and objectives. However, this option is not as good as the previous one. In the daily bustle of the office, it is difficult for a specialist to concentrate on one thing, listen carefully to the boss and understand what to do to solve a particular problem. Stage 2.Definition of a common goal. The goal should be clear and relevant. Accordingly, setting tasks for employees should be appropriate. It is very important that employees understand what is at stake. No need to vaguely formulate or complicate the goal. It is important that the goal is related to the results not only of employees, but of the entire company as a whole. It is better if the wording consists of 1-2 phrases. Note that the goal should be in front of every specialist. At the same time, the position and labor duties do not matter, since a well-formulated goal motivates the employee for high-quality and efficient activities. If the goals and objectives are blurred, the employee thinks that he is wasting time on unnecessary and meaningless things for the company. Stage 3.Task formulation. First of all, the task must be achievable. The manager is directly responsible for this. It is he who must understand whether the employee has enough time, how busy he is, whether he is competent in this or that issue. If the answers to all of the above questions are positive, the task can be entrusted to him. Otherwise, trying to complete an unbearable or immense task, even with high motivation, the employee will simply “burn out” professionally. Stage 4.Establishment of an action plan and/or criteria for quality assessment. An important condition is the measurability of algorithms and standards. In other words, both the leader and the subordinate should understand how many percent a particular task has been completed. Standards are measurable indicators, for example, the volume of reports, the duration of the event and the number of participants involved in it, the forms for developing personnel documents, the number of applicants invited to the vacancy for certain period, etc. It is thanks to the standards that it is possible to evaluate the quality of tasks performed and the degree of achievement of goals within the allotted time. The content of the standards is determined by the experience and age of the employee. If he is young and inexperienced, the standards should be as detailed and detailed as possible. At the same time, general phrases (qualitatively, promptly, etc.) do not work when installing algorithms. Your perception is likely to be very different from that of the employee. Offering to complete the task "in the shortest time”, you can mean his delivery by tomorrow morning. For an employee, this may mean the delivery of the project by next week. Stage 5.resource addressing. When solving a problem, an employee should have access to all types of resources (informational, material and human). He needs to know where the document folders are. He should be able to calmly visit the necessary departments and offices in the company. Situations when an employee needs to receive a resource from another department deserve special attention. For example, a colleague must transfer a certain thing, or an employee must pick up a document from an adjacent department. In such cases, it is not always clear who is responsible, who owes what. This causes either conflicts between departments in connection with the non-provision of resources, or the gradual reduction of the task to "no", when the employee says: "I wanted to complete the task, but they did not give me." Stage 6.Control scheme. The control algorithm, like standards, must be measurable and specific. The management is obliged to inform the personnel who are entrusted with the control of the implementation of tasks. This may be a more experienced mentor, a specialist from a related department, or directly the head of the organization. You should also decide on the form of control: an electronic report, an oral presentation in the framework of a general meeting, a personal conversation in the office of the authorities. Timing is also important. In the absence of a well-functioning control scheme, the employee simply will not understand how long it takes to complete the task, who will monitor it. In addition, almost every company has a special category of "forgetful" employees who do not meet deadlines or carry out orders poorly. In their control scheme, it is necessary to include penalties for non-fulfillment of tasks in the form of a fine, reprimand, consideration of the issue by management, etc. Stage 7.Personal motivation of the worker. Motivation, as well as setting goals, should be relevant. After defining the objectives of the company, describing the standards and providing resources, it would seem that the job is done. But if you work on the motivation of an employee, he will demonstrate better results. We note that in this case do not mean the financial component of motivation, despite the fact that no one has canceled bonuses for achievements. Here personal motives are more important. It is enough for one employee to say that the task is new and interesting, and this will stimulate him. The other is to inform about the help that he will personally provide to you if he copes with the task, since you are an authority for the employee. The third specialist, who wants to be the first in everything, is informed that his colleague has already completed his part of the task. Thus, in order to motivate an employee to achieve a particular goal, you need to know about his characteristics and personal ambitions. Stage 8.Checking for understanding. The employee must fully understand what is at stake when setting a particular task. As a rule, it happens like this. The management voices the task and asks: “Is everything clear?”, “What questions do you have?”. But often workers just nod, without specifying the details. At the same time, it is possible that the task is completely incomprehensible, which leads to its incorrect or incomplete execution. After explaining the task, management should always clarify what exactly is clear to the specialist. Questions such as: “Repeat what to do”, “What do you think is the best place to start?” are appropriate. Let the employee answer as he sees the task ahead of him. And you will immediately understand what he missed. Special attention in this matter should be given to beginners. What should be the correct statement of tasks, the solution of which will give the desired result? Tasks should be smart, i.e. formulated according to their respective SMART criteria. The term SMART is an abbreviation of the initial letters of English words: Translated from English, the term smart itself means "smart". If the statement is correct, then the task is specific, achievable, measurable, significant and correlates with a specific deadline. Let's look at each criterion in more detail. concreteness When setting a task, management must clearly understand what result it is interested in. That is, you, as a leader, know what outcome will suit you (one idea - I1). As the assignment is presented, the employee sees the result in his own way (idea two - I2). It may happen that you and the employee see the same task in different ways (I1 and I2). To prevent this from happening, the manager and the specialist should discuss the task, ways to complete it, and come to a consensus. There should be no default concepts so that non-standard and difficult situations do not arise. Problem Statement Example The top manager of the company instructed the deputy director of the commercial department as follows: "Due to the absence of the commercial director, prepare information on client A by 15:00 today." The Deputy Director prepared a sales report for client A by the deadline. But the manager expected completely different information - about accounts payable. As a result, the task was not completed. How should it have been done? Both sides decided that everything was already clear, and there was no need to discuss the details of the task. But it turned out that the participants presented the result differently. The boss should have formulated the order more clearly, namely: "In connection with the absence of the commercial director, prepare information on the accounts payable of client A by 15.00 today." measurability The goal must be measurable. And to measure the degree of achievement of it is possible only with the help of criteria, or meters that would make it possible to understand how the task was completed. The absence of criteria does not allow to objectively control the process of setting the task and evaluate the results of the work performed. The degree of task completion is assessed on the basis of: Problem Statement Example At the meeting, the CEO instructed "to establish an operational exchange of data between the departments of commerce and logistics." From time to time, the heads of departments reported that the order was being successfully carried out. But when the CEO asked what kind of information the parties were exchanging, it turned out that they simply began to ask each other “how are you” more often. The problem statement in this case did not meet a number of SMART criteria. That is, there was no criterion for achieving the goal, it was not clear how to track this process, the problem statement was blurry. How it was necessary to evaluate the results of activities, it was also not clear. What to do in this case? The CEO should have voiced the task as follows: “Establish an operational exchange of data between the Commerce and Logistics Department, in particular, provide each other with weekly reports on the work performed in the following form (list the indicators that should be present in the report of each department).” Reachability It is important that the balance between the intensity of the work and the achievability of the desired result is maintained. That is why, when setting goals for a particular specialist, management should take into account his vocational training and individual characteristics. It is in the correspondence of the competence of the employee to the tasks that he is entrusted with that the essence of the mechanism for forming the bar of goals lies. The bar should not be artificially lowered, and the employee should work in the same intensive rhythm. If an organization needs to increase general indicators activities of personnel, specialists with different professional backgrounds and competencies are approached differently, both to beginners and to people who have already firmly established themselves in the team. All staff can be conditionally divided into several categories: Consider options for setting the goal bar. It is necessary to determine the average indicator of the work of the team today and the best indicator of the specialist who works most efficiently (capacity limit). For each category of workers, you should set your own bar of goals, which can provide the most effective way to achieve the desired result. There are several ways to set goals, one of which is to gradually improve the results of work. First, management raises the bar a little and sees if the specialist is ready to perform more high requirements. If so, raise the bar even more. Such a scheme is effective for beginners, because in the early stages the authorities do not yet understand what they can actually do. A gradual increase in the bar is also justified if the specialist has been working in the organization for a long time, but he does not have confidence in his own abilities, and therefore he is not proactive and not independent. If you begin to gradually set more complex tasks for him, the employee will understand that he is acting competently. Another way is to set a goal that involves more efficient operation and approaching the limit of possibilities by 50%. This option is best used in relation to employees who have been working in the organization for a long time and perform their duties well. At the same time, specialists in this category are not ambitious, they are not looking for anything new. If a worker is tasked with increasing productivity, he may be reluctant, but he will still be able to successfully cope with the task due to professional training. Setting the goal bar is possible in another way. Management gives the task to significantly improve performance and achieve marginal indicators. Experienced professionals interested in career growth and development, striving for outstanding results. That is why they are ready for more productive work. The fourth way is setting goals that exceed the limit of possibilities. It is clear that such tasks can be set for experienced employees with high performance and great ambitions. However, the achievement of high results is necessary for specialists to continue to occupy leadership positions. That is, the task for each employee should be correlated with his experience and personal characteristics. As already noted, achieving the planned goals, specialists must work in the same intensive mode. Problem Statement Example An employee of one recruiting firm, whose sales figures were significantly higher than those of his colleagues, was included in the category of ambitious "stars". The management instructed him to increase the average sales rate, having previously talked and found out that the specialist is motivated mainly by a free work schedule. The employee was given the task to raise sales figures by one and a half times (an overstated bar of goals), saying that as soon as the goal was achieved, he would be able to work in a free mode. As a result, after two months, the specialist approached the planned stable indicators and began to work according to a flexible schedule. The rest of the team began to gradually improve own results. The overall goal - to increase the average sales rate - was achieved. Significance Management should always analyze whether the task is significant, why its setting is important, what will give its implementation to one or another specialist. Thinking about the task, you must correlate it with higher-level goals, including strategic ones. The employee must certainly know why he performs this or that assignment. The task definition should be simple and understandable. For example, the boss instructs the subordinate to clean up the desktop, because in the evening colleagues will come to his office. The manager means to “remove unnecessary papers in connection with the evening meeting”, since all the most important things should be at hand. necessary documentation. And the subordinate regards this order like a full desk clearing, as the boss wants to chat with colleagues over tea. That is, setting goals should be associated with more important goals. In this case, it is “clean up the table, leaving only the documents necessary for the meeting” or “clean up the table, freeing it from everything superfluous, for tea drinking with colleagues.” Limited time Adequate deadlines are very important when setting goals. It is on them that the result of the subordinate depends. If you define a very long or, on the contrary, a short period for solving a problem, the employee will not work effectively enough, realizing that there is still a lot of time ahead. At the other extreme, he will strive to meet a limited time frame at the expense of quality. When setting goals, control is very important. But control over the execution of tasks in each case should be individual. For example, if the manager is not confident in the professional training or responsibility of the employee, strict control is quite appropriate. If he sets a task for an experienced and obligatory worker, it is better not to apply strict control measures. Managers control the execution of tasks in three ways: The first control option is quite hard. In some way, he suppresses responsible specialists and humiliates them, becomes a kind of anti-motivator. The employee thinks that the management does not trust him, and begins to doubt his strength and capabilities. This type of control is appropriate only in the case of those subordinates whose professionalism and responsibility the boss doubts. The second option is the other extreme. There is practically no control, there is no feedback in it. In this case, employees tend to think they are doing a good job even when they are not, and often underestimate the complexity and urgency of tasks. The third way is perhaps the most reasonable and optimal. But in some cases it may be necessary to combine it with the first form of control. Control tasks include the following: There are certain rules, following which, as a leader, you can make control more effective: Basecamp Basecamp is a product developed by the American company 37signals. Initially, it was intended solely for the convenient management of personnel tasks. Thanks to the use of the program, work in the company can be divided into projects with a separate tab for each. On the main page, all tasks are visible along with updates. Users have the opportunity to discuss action plans and, if necessary, correct the information. When adding a new task, users can attach the necessary files to it, assign a person responsible for the implementation and determine the deadlines. The program is well suited for teamwork, as it gives extensive opportunities for collective problem solving. With its help, you can set up tasks, plan activities, track the results of each specialist, and control the results of activities. All work in the program is divided into three subsections - overview, folders by sections and reports. The current activity takes place in the second section - folders. At the same time, the user has the opportunity to independently determine their location, separate them depending on the subject, etc. One task can include a number of subtasks (folders). The program uses the Japanese kanban method, according to which production is divided into several stages. All the activities of the company are divided into projects and processes - the so-called boards. From left to right below them are vertical columns (task lists). Almost all production is signed on the boards - from the idea to the moment the first income is received. Boards are divided into small subtasks, or cards. The task setting system consists of the following sections: "Actions" (familiarization with the latest operations), "Projects" (a list of projects and tasks within them), "Inspiration" (dialogues of employees), "Meetings". There are also additional sections that help control sales volumes and current expenses. When working on projects, you can use all known options. At the same time, it is convenient to link data from other sections (for example, "Inspiration"). Podio has a rating of tasks, but each employee can separate his own from those of others. Russian program created by Ateve Commercial. Consists of three sections: "What to do?" (the list of tasks itself), “Who is to blame?” (delivery deadlines and performers), “Where is everyone?” (invitations for participants). Work is carried out on projects in which you can create folders, attach files, leave notes. It also allows you to prioritize tasks. The specialist who completed the work marks the project as completed. After that, the task automatic mode sent for verification. Mistake 1. Setting a task that is not consistent with the tasks of other departments. If the task is contrary to the goals of other units, the latter will inevitably resist. Do not create conflicts in the team out of the blue. Error 2. Setting a task that runs counter to other tasks of the employee. It often happens that a leader gives a subordinate an assignment that is paramount, in his opinion. However, the employee has urgent current affairs. As a result, he does not perform any task 100%. Mistake 3. Incomprehensible, incorrect statement of tasks. Of course, to comprehend and decompose the task is the worker's business. But management must clearly explain what the result is expected to be. Mistake 4. The leader did not explain why he gave this or that task. The same task can be completed in different ways. It all depends on ultimate goal. That is, when performing a task, the employee must know why. Mistake 5. The leader was not convinced that the subordinate understood the task correctly. Ideally, you should do this: voice the order, and then ask the employee how he understood it. Better yet, get it on paper. Mistake 6. Setting a task for an employee without the appropriate skills and experience to complete it. Now companies often set growth goals, which imply higher professional training of a specialist. But in this case, it is not at all a fact that the employee will cope with the task successfully. Mistake 7. Statement of a deliberately unattainable task. If you are really interested in qualitySupervisor's workbook Nikolay Doroshchuk
your plan
1. Be consistent in your tasks
2. Explain your purpose
3. Know the capabilities of subordinates as if they were your own.
4. Arm your subordinate
5. Remember to control intermediate
0 step. Situation selection
1 step. Feasibility
2 step. SMART goal
Step 3. Providing resources.
Step 4. Controllability
Step 5: Personal Motivation
Step 6. Understanding
Why is it important to assign tasks to subordinates correctly?
Check if you effectively set tasks and delegate authority
Basic methods of setting goals
7 important rules for setting goals and objectives
Step-by-step algorithm for setting tasks
Setting goals using the SMART methodology
Task setting and execution control
Program for setting tasksand monitoring their implementation
Typical mistakes of managers in setting goals