Be able to allocate and assure the quality of work
Table of Contents
Case Study
Two of Jake’s team are new and he wants them to be supervised, so he decides it makes sense for one of them to help with the chilled food and the other to help with the fruit. That means pairing them with one of the more experienced team members. He knows that Gillian knows a lot about the fruit and vegetable section, so he asks her to work with one of the new team members to do that. He also knows that Penny would like to get a job working in the training department, so he asks her to show the other new team member how chilled and frozen foods are handled. He particularly asks her to tell him about the health and safety rules. That leaves three team members, plus Jake himself. He tells them that they will work in pairs to restock the other two lines, but also he’d like to make sure that there is plenty of room for the new delivery when it arrives. He asks them to look at how they can move some of the other stock to make room for it, whilst they are selecting stock for the shelves. Normally, he would have got two of them to do that, while the other two filled shelves, but he thinks that this will be a more effective way of doing the work. It will also make the tasks more challenging and interesting.(Taken from: Page 4 ‘Allocating work to team members’ by the Institute of Leadership & Management and QMD Ltd.)
- Do you think that allocating work in this way will have a positive long-term impact? If so, in what ways?
- Could pairing less experienced staff with more experienced staff help the members of your team develop their skills?
It is rare that there is just one way to respond to a scenario or situation, so do not consider that the response you have chosen to this scenario will be judged as right or wrong. Share your scenario with a work colleague and ask them to tell you if they think you have responded appropriately. Ask them to challenge your response if necessary. You do not need to submit this task for assessment unless asked to do so by your tutor.