Too many people working on the same task is just as counterproductive as nobody working on it. In our first Management Worx article, we look at why corporate balls are dropped and how to prevent it.

In our assessment feedback research 70% of respondents expressed a strong need for development in terms of how to test that there is no duplication of work or non-allocated work responsibilities in their areas.

According to Marius Joubert, a director at Louis Allen Southern Africa, managers underestimate the value that job design and work flow  have on people. “Structuring of the work is critical and has to be done before you can get to the results. The real work, however, starts much earlier – at the strategy stage.”

To avoid overlapping (work duplication) or underlapping (non-allocated responsibilities), managers have to be able to interpret their  company’s strategy. When they fail to do that properly, it is almost impossible to identify the work activities that have to be done in  individual teams.

“This results in workflow and distribution challenges and, eventually, in teams and individuals who disengage from the organisation.”

Job descriptions and performance management systems are assessment tools that can be particularly useful in testing for overlaps and underlaps. Unfortunately, says Marius, too few managers use the results. “Once you have interpreted the strategy, the next step is to review the structure and people you have in place: do the roles in the structure cover the work that needs to be done? Existing  assessment tools will bring you very close to the answers you need.”

When there is no role clarity, role ambiguity and conflict take over. This wellknown Louis Allen principle was recently reconfirmed in a  Gallup survey. However, when both the team leader and team members fully understand the roles of the individuals in the team, as well as the team’s boundaries in relation to other teams in the organisation, the right person will catch the right ball 99% of the time.