A manager’s productivity depends on how well his subordinates perform. The competence of the chief includes the ability to set tasks so that they are completed on time and exactly as required. This is often not always the case. It happens that the specialist did not hear or misunderstood the assigned task, as a result of which it takes twice as long to complete the assignment.
How to set tasks correctly so that they are carried out accurately and on time? To do this, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with several stages for further integration.
Stage 1. Choosing a situation
First, you need to choose the right moment. It is often best to arrange with a subordinate and meet in a separate office where you can explain the task without distractions.
If you decide to distract a specialist for a short while when he is busy with work, then you risk not conveying the meaning of the task at all. Most likely, he will immediately forget the task, because he will return to what he was doing before you came. It’s even worse if you load a subordinate in the hallway or during lunchtime. What methods are better to refuse.
Stage 2. Feasibility
The main requirement for setting a task is to really assess its feasibility. It is necessary to clearly understand and evaluate the capabilities of a specialist and answer the following questions:
- Will he be able to complete the task;
- Does he have enough professional skills and knowledge;
- Does he have free time to complete the task or is he busy.
We recommend that you carefully set goals for the future, for the achievement of which the specialist needs to surpass himself. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting a demotivated, upset and with a nervously blinking eye of a specialist who could not cope with the task assigned to him.
Stage 3. SMART goal
The task planned for setting must comply with the SMART system and meet the following requirements:
- S – Specific – The goal should be as specific and understandable as possible;
- M – Measurable – Set clear criteria for completing the task;
- A – Achievable – The task must be realistic and doable;
- R – Relevant – Significant, relevant. The task must be important and make sense;
- T – Time bound – Be sure to include a deadline for the task.
Stage 4. Resource provision
To accomplish the assigned task, the manager is obliged to provide the specialist with everything necessary – from material and information resources to human resources.
Do not forget to consider the moment of interaction with other departments. If the task requires resources that someone else should give, then be sure to agree on this moment in advance.
Stage 5. Controllability
When setting a task, it is necessary to clearly understand who will control its implementation, as well as in what form the report will be provided, in electronic form or oral reports at meetings. And, of course, one must not forget about clearly set deadlines.
All these questions must be answered by a specialist, he must understand who and how will control him.
Stage 6. Personal motivation
As a leader, you must create interest in the task and try to probe the specialist’s personal motivation that will increase his productivity. It is important for some subordinates to say that he will help you personally and the company, and for someone that the task is interesting and will be an excellent incentive for professional growth. Those who strive to be the best in everything can be motivated by rivalry with another specialist.
Stage 7. Understanding
After you have assigned a task to a specialist, check if he understood you. It is important not just to ask if everything is clear, but to ask him to explain how he understood this task:
- In what order should be done?
- How long does it take?
- What should be the result?
From the detailed response, it will be clear whether the assigned task is clear to him or not.
The above algorithm may seem voluminous to you, but after a while these rules will increase the quality and speed of the tasks.
