How Do You Know Who Does What?
In the financial services industry, it’s not unusual for teams to have very loosely defined roles. Most team members wear multiple hats and end up taking on tasks because they are good at them or simply because they need to get done.
As the agency grows, there is often confusion about who is doing what. This can lead to dropped balls; but more often it leads to inefficiencies such as multiple team members working on the same issue, delays or even just bad time management. When job duties are clear it allows for better time blocking, less work having to be redone and fewer dropped balls. What you need is a blueprint that will set you up for success.
If you’re in our Optimal Outcome program, you know that there are certain tools we have that are easily customizable to help you create clarity of job roles within your business. If you’re not using Optimal Outcome, use this as inspiration or sign up today.
- Functional Org Chart. A list of all core functions broken into five areas of business activity. Our clients use these to understand what positions their business needs. But they also shine a light on what you outsource, what you could outsource or what work isn’t getting done right now. They also set you up to make the suggestion below easier to complete.
- Position Zoom Charts. Assign the core functions to a team member and estimate the amount of time they will spend completing those duties. These are great for understanding when a team member has too much work on their plate, or not enough. They make great training checklists and can aide in performance reviews. Position zoom charts are great for understanding what you need new positions to do or what needs to be done by someone else if a team member quits or changes roles. They also point out inefficiencies such as specific tasks not being assigned or assigned to too many people. These charts are go-to tools in understanding who does what, but more importantly they provide strategy for the agency and structure for your team members.
- Business Activity Guides. These take the core functions and provide more detail along with timing. They provide a check list for tasks that need to be done daily, weekly, monthly and annually. Each task will also be assigned a time if the task is time sensitive. For instance, the sales report might need to be done by 9:00 AM on Monday morning, but handling changes would be on an “as needed” basis. These guides leave little doubt about who is working on what and what deadlines they need to meet. They are great for training, but also help your team see the importance of systems, time blocking and priorities. If someone is out sick these are the blueprint to ensure their work is completed.
With Optimal Outcome there is no reason to reinvent the wheel, we have these tools ready for you to customize and implement within your business. If you’re not already an Optimal Outcome client, you can use this as inspiration to start creating clarity.