For background on how THA manages internal and client project-related activities, please visit, It's All About Activities.
Situation.…
Over the years, associates inside this professional services firm had developed Word-based Job Aids – step-by-step instructions to perform key tasks – for their positions.
Problem.…
These Word documents were spread across multiple computers and lacked key information that could make them more useful for managing this firm.
Solution...
An enterprising associate took it upon herself to gather and consolidate all these Job Aids. Upon seeing this, the firm's president recognized how these instructions could be used to better manage the firm's internal operations using the application development capabilities of the firm's Knowledge Management system.
A standard KM database was easily customized to add fields to hold the following information:
- Responsible Person (Who)
- Estimated Time for the Task
- Time Code to Use
- How Often the Task Needs to be Performed, including the specific Months and Weeks (By When)
After the customizations were completed:
- Staff copied and pasted the Job Aid instructions into the customized database
- Staff entered information into the new fields and prefixed a two-part code to the the Activity's Title to organize the Job Aids by Topic
- The president reviewed the reasonableness of each Activity's Estimated Time, Frequency, and Timing, revising these as needed, and created two primary views to better manage the firm
The Job Aid lists the steps to complete this Activity, Who completes the activity, and the specified Frequency (Weekly, Semi-Monthly, Monthly, and so on) and Timing (what weeks of the month, months of the quarter, and so on), allowing the system to automatically calculate dates for the Master Calendar.
The database was now ready to use for two key management tasks:
- Periodically – Review the role assignments and estimated annual hours for the various staff.
- Monthly – Meet with the office staff to review the status of everyone's Non-Routine tasks for the prior month, the month about to end, and the upcoming month.
Job Aid information can be summarized to display estimated hours per year for every Who, which represents a Role. Defining Activities by Role allows Activities to be easily shifted among staff members, who all perform multiple Roles.
The system displays key information about every Non-Routine Activity (one performed less frequently than monthly), using circles color-coded by Role in sortable monthly columns. A circle is displayed if the Activity has a calculated date in that month.
Results and Benefits…
The Job Aids help staff perform their tasks right the first time, thereby:
- Increasing efficiency by saving time and preventing overlaps in activity.
- Setting clear expectations for employees about their roles in keeping the firm running smoothly.
- Ensuring required knowledge of the activity and the overall role is easily accessible.
Benefits coming from routine use and review of the Master Calendar include:
- Streamlining communication and coordination by clearly indicating “Who Will Do What By When.”
- Improving decision-making by providing a comprehensive view of all activities for all roles.
- Allowing better prioritization of activities when a staff member is out sick or on vacation.
Conclusion...
Managing activities at this level of detail may seem hard, yet the monthly review process only takes around 30 minutes. This monthly review not only provides visibility and accountability that ensures tasks are performed timely, accurately, and completely – it also reinforces staff knowledge of their roles and responsibilities, keeping the firm running smoothly and with few management interventions.
