Task Allocation

Pick the right player for the right job

Look for a good fit.

© iStockphoto/AndrewJohnson

In any team sport, a lot of time is spent choosing the players who will play in each game. The selection process also involves deciding the position where each team member will play, based on the player's skill, form (current ability to perform well) and the likely opposition that the team will face.

Just as this is true in sport, it is true in business. Leaders need to select the right people for the right jobs, and assign them tasks that fit with their skills and proficiencies. This provides structure.

So how do you do this? To field a match-winning team, first you need to understand the game that has to be played and the skills and abilities required to play it: There's no point asking a football team to play baseball if you want to win at the top level.

Then you have to place the correct player in the correct position. Mere common sense, you would think – but then, as the old quip goes, "common sense is often quite uncommon".

How to Use the Tool:

Here we give you the four-step "BALM" method to achieve correct role allocation:

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