Agenda - Council - 01/10/2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Conduct a brief meeting to discuss workload, priorities, or topics that are affecting the output of your work unit. Discuss problems with assignments and explore solutions. When analyzing a person's workload, ask yourself if the task they are performing is a requirement for success. Some direct reports may expand their job by taking on tasks they enjoy, but may not be necessary to achieving the work unit's goals and objectives. Have the managerial courage to set priorities. Someone must take the step and lead when multiple priorities are to be accomplished. Challenging Activities Brainstorm with your work unit the following areas for solutions to establishing manageable workloads. Initiate a Development Plan to correct, if applicable. Combine activities or tasks performed by more than one person or one group. Identify the work unit's internal and external customers, the activities not directly related to meeting customers' needs, and ways to eliminate or reduce time spent on these tasks. Identify your work unit's goals and objectives. Identify activities not directly related to meeting these goals and objectives and ways to eliminate these tasks. Identify performance problems of some direct reports that affect the workload of others. Determine ways to more evenly distribute the workload. Accomplishing Long-Term Objectives by Planning Incremental Steps Skills, Behaviors, and Attitudes to Adapt and Practice Discipline yourself to take the time to plan. Initial planning will reduce the time needed for rework at the end of the project. Establish long and short-term goals that are consistent with your work unit and organization's mission. Divide objectives by quarter and then by month. Use the objectives document in all work unit meetings. Be prepared to modify the plan if necessary. Communicate your work unit's goals and objectives clearly. Encourage your team to share suggestions for improving the process of dividing objectives into incremental steps. Set definite deadlines for accomplishment of incremental objectives. Hold your direct reports accountable for meeting those deadlines. Review the progress made toward completing your objectives on a regular basis. Meet at least once every quarter with your direct reports to discuss performance and goals for the upcoming quarter. When dividing your plan into incremental steps, translate the steps into responsibilities. Direct reports who clearly understand their responsibilities are more likely to complete tasks efficiently. Challenging Activities Create a communication board, where the status of long-term objectives can be clearly viewed. Use a color-coding system by placing appropriate colors next to a step, allowing others to see the progress. Conduct annual off-site meetings with your direct reports to discuss performance in the past year and goals for the coming year.