Task assignments: A case for efficiency

Imagine you are given a project that requires different pieces of information from different departments with the end result being presented to the leadership team. It is not uncommon for a Project Manager in any size company, but in SMB and Startup environments in particular, to work cross-departmentally, and have more than a basic knowledge of the systems used by other departments; some PMs even “wear many hats,” as the saying goes and can jump in on day-to-day tasks within a project as needed. Encountering an all too familiar “I’m too busy to do that” from colleagues may be expected to a varying degree, and the aim here is to explore a way to think around that notion and focus on long term efficiency and effectiveness. 

Alright, so instead of using generalized terms throughout, we will simply say that you are working on a project and need a specific report within a certain timeframe. 

Even the playing field. Is there a documented process that would allow anyone in the company to generate the report?

Except when dealing with sensitive/confidential information, be on the lookout for ways to constantly provide an even playing field whereby anyone, at the very least multiple people, could achieve the same (or substantively similar) result, with the only real differentiator being the time it takes to generate the report. Take ego and job security out of it. Resource management and legacy planning are both made easier when (1) everyone is willing to do everyone’s job as needed and without complaining; and (2) an even playing field is in place or there’s an expectation that one should be created wherever possible.

X is for Efficiency, Y is for Effectiveness

When determining who is best suited to generate the report, it’s like plotting a point on a graph for everyone in the company where Efficiency is the X-Axis, Effectiveness is the Y-Axis, and your deadline is the point in the curve where everything stops making sense. I was never one for math (Algebra?) so if you can come up with an actual equation to illustrate this point, I’d be happy to include it here with your name next to it! This graphing exercise is probably going to be done in your head and based on your understanding of everyone’s basic job functions and current workload.

Before you request that report.

Take into account the communication preferences of the recipient and format the request in a way that they will easily see what the entirety of the request is (because getting a partial answer is as productive as no answer on an efficiency scale) and clearly understand it. When communicating with executives outside of your department, imagine they will give your email 7-10 seconds of their attention. Did they pick up on everything they need to know? Here’s what that could look like:

Hey, Beth! 

I’m updating the company sales trends and need the Q1 2021 sales report for the Midwest market, broken out by product category and volume by day. If you are not the best person to get me this report, please let me know who to speak with; otherwise, would it be reasonable to have this over within a week?

Thanks,

-Will 

A response comes back. They are too busy.

A few hours have passed since you made your request, and they fire back with how busy they are and that you should have access to the same systems and be able to get the report yourself. I’ll be the first to admit: They’re not wrong! It’s also entirely possible that they could have gotten you the report you need in the amount of time it took to tell you how they don’t have time to get you the report you need, or it could take them a full eight hours to get the information. Or even more. As a general rule, everyone is busy. Unless someone specifically says, “I’m not busy,” an allowable assumption would be that everyone is busy. It does not need to be trotted out as a “get out of any request free” card. If you’re Beth in this situation and haven’t heard this before, I’d encourage you to re-frame your response. While your workload is important, it can come across as arrogant and inconsiderate any time you assert how busy you are. Instead of a classic “I’m too busy,” try taking a minute to genuinely consider the request. If the proposed timeline is not reasonable, explain when you could have the report back to them by and briefly mention why you are unable to get to it before then, if appropriate. Let the person making the request decide if your timeline fits in with theirs.

How much time do you really need?

I always recommend leaving a buffer between the hard deadline and when the report needs to be generated. If your colleague did not mention how much time they would need to get you the report, don’t roll over and accept a speculative answer! Like any skill, operational efficiency is predicated on the consistent and conscientious execution of fundamentals. If you assume everyone is busy, the efficiency game becomes one of saving seconds that will compound over time, not taking seconds to try and get out of work. Get an answer so you can make an informed decision. Getting the report on the 8th day is different from the 28th day.

Revisit your graph. 

Based on the new information available, extend your graph’s deadline/drop off point (that I don’t know how to express in mathematical terms). Is your colleague still the best person to generate the report? If no, get to work on that report! If yes, make your case in another email. If they are still reluctant, get to work on that report!

I might miss my deadline.

During your next project update, make it clear that you are doing your best to generate the report, your colleague is confident they are not able to get to it in time, bring the project team in on the challenge you are facing meeting the deadline and ask for help.

HINT: Notice here how the conversation is centered around efficient and effective results, not blaming that colleague for not helping. If you take the right steps, document along the way, and are confident enough to ask for help, a solution is likely to emerge in time.

What if we don’t have a process in place and I will waste my time?

In this scenario, the only waste of time would be not coming out the other end with a process in hand. Remember, we’re trying to solve for efficiency and effectiveness with an emphasis on improvement along the way. Everyone will always be busy, and it will never be “the right time” to take those extra few minutes along the way and document the process. It’s worth it every time. To wrap up, here’s what that conversation could look like if there’s no process in place.

Hey, Beth! 

I’m updating the company sales trends and need the Q1 2021 sales report for the Midwest market, broken out by product category and volume by day. If you are not the best person to get me this report, please let me know who to speak with; otherwise, would it be reasonable to have this over within a week?

Thanks,

-Will 

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Will, 

I am super busy right now hiring three new account managers and conducting performance reviews for the rest of my team. I don’t have any time to generate this report. You should have access to the system to generate the report yourself. If not, I can make sure you have access. We can schedule a call for a refresher on how to run the report if needed.

Thanks,

-Beth

__________________________________________________________________________

Beth,

I understand the timing may be inconvenient. Here’s what I can do, what if we push out the timeline to 10-12 days, would that give you enough time to build this into your schedule? I don't have much time working in this system and getting the sales trends complete on time is my priority.

I think if you could record yourself generating the report, we can keep that on file, and I will feel more comfortable and confident running this report myself in the future if we end up in a similar situation when the report can't come directly from your department.

Please let me know if we can make that work.

Thanks,

-Will

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How do you approach busy schedules and impeding deadlines on your schedules? Is process improvement built into every project? Share your stories below!

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