How to Effectively Divide Work in Your Team

Each one of us has been part of a team at some point in time. Many have also led a team. The logic behind teamwork is to get the project done at the earliest with maximum efficiency. But if team management is not carried out properly, even the group comprising the smartest individuals cannot achieve its goals. And a crucial component of perfect team management is to 'divide work equally' among the members. Most managers fail when it comes to work allocation in a team since it is not everyone's cup of tea. Experience, rationale, and intuition are essential to the appropriate allocation of responsibilities.

This post by StartupTalky discusses a few ways to distribute work effectively among people.

How to divide work in a team?

Make a Plan of Action
Interview the Team Members
Assign Roles to Team Members
Set Small Goals
Communicate

Make a Plan of Action

A well-defined plan is the cornerstone of a successful project. Make a detailed plan, divide it into different parts, and note down what has to be done to achieve the objectives mentioned in the plan. Employees generally have varying skill sets, so you need to map individuals to different components of the plan. Utilize those skills to complete the tasks at hand. If everything is going smooth, it means your work is progressing in the right direction.

Interview the Team Members

Once a detailed plan has been crafted for the project, you need to interview every member. Ask them questions about their strengths and weaknesses and what they can bring to the project. This exercise would allow you to gauge team members accurately and to distribute tasks accordingly. Bring all of the members in a room and have an introductory meeting. The attendees will get to know each other better and the meetup will enable them to open up. The next challenge is the task division among the team members.

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Assign Roles to Team Members

Now that you know the team's capability and qualities, assign roles and designations to the members. The main question at this point should be how to divide the tasks in a team. Some tasks may need two people to complete while others may require three, so assign them roles accordingly. However, the team should not feel pressurized by the workload; teamwork is about easing an assignment, not complicating it. The second question you should be able to answer is how to distribute work equally. No member should be excessively burdened by the tasks allotted to him or her. You don't want to cause a rift or create division among the staff. If there is a task that does not fit into anybody’s skill category, brainstorm with your group to identify the solution.

Set Small Goals

A big goal can be achieved by breaking it into small targets. Make the task fun and fulfilling by setting up small milestones. Be strict with deadlines! Not only does it compel people to complete their work on time, having a deadline increases productivity at the workplace. If a person finishes the given task before time, reward him or her to show gratitude.

Communicate

A healthy environment is important for any team to work efficiently. It is necessary to fill all sorts of communication gaps to realize this environment. People should be at ease. Take everyone’s opinions and have a meeting with all the team members at the end of the task. Use this meeting to encourage them to share their experiences and opinions on the scope for improvement.

If a person does something wrong, criticism should not be your immediate reaction. Stay calm and help him or her correct that mistake. Patience is the virtue of a great leader. Your job as the team leader is to assist individuals in identifying when and where they go wrong along with the solution. Timely communication is the key here. Moreover, the team members should have the liberty to express their thoughts. If your subordinate hesitates in approaching you, the existing setup is definitely unhealthy. Have a channel where people feel free to communicate.

Conclusion

Dividing workload is an art. Not everyone can do it. It's easy to say, "United we stand, divided we fall." What according to you is the definition of excellent teamwork? How would you divide tasks among individuals? Do comment.

FAQs

What are the characteristics of effective team work?

Some characteristics of Effective team work are:

• Clear Direction
• Open and Honest Communication
• Small and common Goal
• Defined Roles
• Mutual Accountability

What is necessary for good teamwork?

Effective teamwork needs good problem-solving skills, decision-making, communication, and interpersonal skills.

What are the teamwork skills for professional growth?

Some teamwork skills for professional growth are:

• Communication
• Time management
• Problem-solving
• Listening
• Creative thinking
• Collaboration
• Leadership