Managing tasks/staff workload
Discussion
Im in a similar position atm, keep a list for yourself and give them a new job every time they finish the current one and mark it off your list. Set strict deadlines. If they are anything like my lot you need to treat them like kids, i spend 20% ish of my time redoing their work, tidying up after them or telling them what they have done wrong.
Are their tasks all different? Or are all team members doing the same job across a range of customers or products?
Are they doing the same tasks time after time?
Are there any document processes for these tasks?
Are the tasks discreet? Or do they depend on other tasks being complete beforehand?
Without knowing what they do, I can't really suggest much.
Are they doing the same tasks time after time?
Are there any document processes for these tasks?
Are the tasks discreet? Or do they depend on other tasks being complete beforehand?
Without knowing what they do, I can't really suggest much.
I am no expert, but it sounds like the sort of thing you would apply AGILE or scrum type management principles to. You have a small team, you know what the job queue is, you prioritise that queue into what needs doing more urgently than others, you have a very brief meeting to ensure all players know what they will and on which jobs.
This sort of approach with regular, very short team meetings enables the team to incorporate change in customer demands, change in priority of jobs, and is probably more suited to these sort of tasks.
But I could be wrong.
This sort of approach with regular, very short team meetings enables the team to incorporate change in customer demands, change in priority of jobs, and is probably more suited to these sort of tasks.
But I could be wrong.
TBF, not sure you need worry to much about the terminology.
You have a small team of people who can complete various tasks on various jobs. THese jobs have varied ranking of importance to be completed.
You need to manage the priority of the outstanding job queue - say 40 jobs. Rank them in order of importance to be completed. Agree with team in a meeting how long each job should take and identify any problems that would sop them being completed in that time.
Then let them get on with the jobs.
Very quick reviews on progress to ensure what they said they would do has been done, get update of any new impediments, pass on any change of job scope etc.
You probably don't need to adhere much to the concept - just take the useful bits that fit your style of project.
You have a small team of people who can complete various tasks on various jobs. THese jobs have varied ranking of importance to be completed.
You need to manage the priority of the outstanding job queue - say 40 jobs. Rank them in order of importance to be completed. Agree with team in a meeting how long each job should take and identify any problems that would sop them being completed in that time.
Then let them get on with the jobs.
Very quick reviews on progress to ensure what they said they would do has been done, get update of any new impediments, pass on any change of job scope etc.
You probably don't need to adhere much to the concept - just take the useful bits that fit your style of project.
johnfm said:
TBF, not sure you need worry to much about the terminology.
You have a small team of people who can complete various tasks on various jobs. THese jobs have varied ranking of importance to be completed.
You need to manage the priority of the outstanding job queue - say 40 jobs. Rank them in order of importance to be completed. Agree with team in a meeting how long each job should take and identify any problems that would sop them being completed in that time.
Then let them get on with the jobs.
Very quick reviews on progress to ensure what they said they would do has been done, get update of any new impediments, pass on any change of job scope etc.
You probably don't need to adhere much to the concept - just take the useful bits that fit your style of project.
I understand that before all the buzzwords were invented, they called that "managing". You have a small team of people who can complete various tasks on various jobs. THese jobs have varied ranking of importance to be completed.
You need to manage the priority of the outstanding job queue - say 40 jobs. Rank them in order of importance to be completed. Agree with team in a meeting how long each job should take and identify any problems that would sop them being completed in that time.
Then let them get on with the jobs.
Very quick reviews on progress to ensure what they said they would do has been done, get update of any new impediments, pass on any change of job scope etc.
You probably don't need to adhere much to the concept - just take the useful bits that fit your style of project.
exactly.
Though I think that different types of projects can be approached in different ways - which is probably why there are different methodologies for managing, say, a large software project compared to a small house build, if you know what I mean.
There are, I suppose, some fundamental similarities as you suggest.
Though I think that different types of projects can be approached in different ways - which is probably why there are different methodologies for managing, say, a large software project compared to a small house build, if you know what I mean.
There are, I suppose, some fundamental similarities as you suggest.
We all need to start somewhere
Currently there are no processes in place at all. Another team uses a dedicated email account so that work all comes into one place, then it gets allocated out one by one. However, that team does smaller jobs, one at a time, and there's a good understanding how long stuff should take.
Our work comes in from multiple sources, there's no set standard job and you have to pick up at least a couple of jobs at a time.
The biggest issue is to find a decent system keeping track of workflow, so that I know where I am.
If I can also find a system that means we can work efficiently then all the better, so I really do appreciate the suggestions.
Currently there are no processes in place at all. Another team uses a dedicated email account so that work all comes into one place, then it gets allocated out one by one. However, that team does smaller jobs, one at a time, and there's a good understanding how long stuff should take.
Our work comes in from multiple sources, there's no set standard job and you have to pick up at least a couple of jobs at a time.
The biggest issue is to find a decent system keeping track of workflow, so that I know where I am.
If I can also find a system that means we can work efficiently then all the better, so I really do appreciate the suggestions.
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