Assignment Execution Control

The untimely and incorrect execution of tasks by a leader is a common problem in modern companies. The reason for this is the lack of employee motivation. When employees understand that their work will not be evaluated or checked, they stop taking it seriously. Employee performance decreases, the situation in the team becomes unstable, and the company misses out on profits. To avoid problems with task execution, regular monitoring of task completion is essential.

How Task Execution Control Works

Practically all companies have a hierarchical structure where the leader gives orders to subordinates, specifying deadlines for execution. To achieve results, it’s not enough to assign tasks to employees. You need to ensure that everyone understands the essence of the task and monitor the progress of its execution.

If we are talking about a small company with just a few people, this can be done relatively easily. In large companies with a large number of employees performing tasks of varying complexity and volume, it is important to establish a clear system for controlling task execution, which represents a systematic check of the company’s staff’s work.

By controlling the execution of tasks assigned by the leader, it is easy to identify deviations from the desired results, employee actions, and make necessary corrections.

Types of Task Control

Task control can be:

1. Preliminary: It takes place during the project preparation phase. Before assigning a task to an employee, the leader checks if they have the necessary resources and the ability to complete the task.
2. Incoming (conceptual): This is done to understand if the executor is aware of the tasks assigned to them. It involves assessing how the employee has understood the task and how they plan to solve it. This responsibility often falls on the leader’s assistants.
3. Intermediate (ongoing): The goal is to assess the progress of the work. It involves checking what has been done up to a certain point, identifying any issues or delays in task completion, and notifying the leader of any deviations. If necessary, the leader makes changes to the task.
4. Final: It evaluates how well the goal has been achieved by the set deadline. The results obtained are compared to the planned outcomes. Based on this, the leader draws conclusions and makes further decisions regarding the project’s functioning.

The task control system is built on the collaborative efforts of the leader and their deputies. An assistant records tasks, monitors their deadlines, and assigns responsible individuals. They periodically report on the progress to the leader in written reports, which include information on how many tasks employees received, who completed them, and who did not.

The task control system should be formally documented, and employees should be informed in advance. The key provisions of the system are recorded in the company’s internal documents. Subordinates should understand how task assignments are made and who is responsible for their control. The accompanying documentation should outline the reporting forms for presenting intermediate and final results.

Formal written approval of the system’s provisions is of paramount importance for the company. Holding an employee accountable for not fulfilling their duties can only be done if these duties are documented in writing. The same applies to rewarding employees based on their performance.

How to Ensure Task Execution by Subordinates

To make sure that employees listen to and understand the leader, their instructions must be adequate and well-formulated. The vaguer the task’s wording, the less likely it will be executed properly.

Here are some common mistakes that hinder the execution of management directives:

1. Delaying the assignment of responsibility for a task, leaving little time for its completion.
2. Restricting the authority or time of the executor.
3. Assigning too many individuals to a single task.
4. Lack of a clear plan that allows employees to work independently without waiting for the leader’s orders.

Employees are more likely to take their tasks seriously if the following principles are observed:

1. Proper motivation: The executor should know how their completed tasks will benefit the company and contribute to their financial well-being. Employees should be reminded that bonuses or other rewards await them upon successful task completion.
2. Written documentation of agreements in specialized programs or applications: These records should include information about the assignment’s recipient, deadlines for task completion. Subordinates should be aware of the tasks assigned to them and know that their work is being monitored by the department or team leader. This prevents future claims of not being informed about a task or forgetting it.
3. Shortening the information flow to subordinates: Various planners and electronic organizers can be used to keep all task-related information readily accessible.
4. Providing feedback to management in case unexpected problems arise during task execution: Leaders should listen to feedback and suggestions from their subordinates for possible adjustments.
5. Establishing a clear system of rewards and penalties that is understandable to every team member.
6. Exercising moderation in control: It’s essential not to turn task and document execution control into constant monitoring of every action taken by personnel. Employees should be able to work independently without being distracted by minor details.
7. Mandatory tracking of each task with a thorough analysis of results.

Effective communication between performers and responsible individuals (secretaries, assistants to leaders) is crucial for achieving positive results in collaborative work. The SMART goal-setting system demonstrates promising results in this regard. According to this methodology, tasks assigned by leaders should meet the following criteria:

• Specificity: Tasks should include clear instructions on how and when to complete them, assign a responsible employee, and specify who will monitor the process.
• Measurement and evaluation of results: The outcomes should be measurable.
• Achievability: The level of task complexity should correspond to the set deadlines, making tasks realistically achievable.
• Relevance: Assignments should match the employee’s qualifications, knowledge level, and abilities and have a direct relationship to the work process.
• Time-bound: Each task should have a set timeframe for completion.

Automated programs simplify task control at various levels. They facilitate communication between leaders and employees, including remote workers.

Using task managers for organizing work with subordinates allows you to prioritize tasks using labels and color-coding. This helps leaders stay informed about the status of tasks and what employees are working on.

Automated personnel monitoring systems consolidate all tasks into a single system, making them accessible for review at any convenient time. With electronic planners, company leadership can manage tasks remotely, using tablets or other digital devices.

LiderTask for Task Execution Monitoring

“Convenient Software for Personnel Management: LiderTask

LiderTask is a versatile software designed for use on various electronic devices. It allows for authorized control with the delegation of responsibilities within a unified system. The program’s features include:

1. Task creation with assignment of importance, deadlines, and statuses.
2. Assignment of responsibilities and delegates.
3. Task refinement.
4. Project and subproject creation.
5. A unified list of employees and departments.

You can view an employee’s tasks by clicking on their avatar. The progress of the assigned task is indicated by a border around the avatar. A green border indicates that the task is assigned to that employee, while a red border signifies that you are the assigned executor.

Within the task window, you can:

1. Communicate between the executor and the requester.
2. Set a task completion date using the calendar.
3. Attach files and reports.

Notifications about assigned tasks will be delivered to all devices available to the executor.

The LiderTask program helps streamline document management within a company and organize task tracking based on their completion status and quality. It is equally suitable for entrepreneurs, leaders of large companies, and managers due to its numerous functions, such as:

1. Individual and group access to tasks.
2. The ‘task in focus’ option.
3. Customizable notifications for task updates.
4. Visual cues like urgent, attention, and important.

To ensure that a task is completed on time, it is essential to assign an executor. By assigning a task to a specific employee, you can trust that it won’t be neglected. When an employee receives a task, they mark it as ‘in progress.’ Upon completion, they change the status to ‘ready,’ and it will appear in the ‘Ready for Submission’ section. The responsible person will receive a notification as confirmation of completion.

By using the LiderTask application, you can easily monitor the execution of tasks and keep them within sight. The planner is user-friendly and works efficiently on Windows, Android, MacOs, and iOS devices with synchronization across all platforms.

The application is particularly useful for managing remote employees. Your staff will feel the presence of leadership, understand that specific actions are expected of them within set deadlines, and the planner will monitor the work of remote employees, providing reports to management.”

Conclusion

Effective and systematic control over the execution of assignments ensures comprehensive coverage of all tasks within a company for successful business management. Secretaries and executive assistants play a crucial role in this process.

Implementing a control system should begin with the correct task assignment. Assignments should include the employee’s name and deadline for completion. To facilitate checking and monitoring the degree of task completion, it is more convenient to use automated tools that simplify personnel management.

Additional means of controlling assignments are reports that provide information on the status of task execution. Reports should be generated based on the following criteria:

• The organizational level (reports within a department or the entire organization).
• Frequency (daily, monthly, quarterly).
• An approved format.

The choice of monitoring method should take into account the specific characteristics and scale of the business.