Effective Workload Management: Prioritization and Achievement

Working efficiently is essential if a business is to remain competitive. A well structured workload is key to individual and team success. The aims of the unit are to equip managers with the knowledge to identify priorities and set measurable objectives. Managers will know how to organise and allocate daily work activities, monitor outcomes, and respond practically to problems in a manner which supports the achievement of results.

1.1 Assess the scope and purpose of daily work activities in the context of an organisation

1.2 Identify the legal and organisational frameworks which impact on how a team delivers daily work activities

1.3 Explain how daily work activities contribute to the achievement of organisational targets Indicative content

1.1 Daily work activities may include but are not limited to routine activities fulfilled daily, meet set objectives and include production, administrative and security tasks and activities, reporting, health and safety, equipment usage; non routine activities occur infrequently, include training, emergencies, special projects.

1.2 Legal may include but is not limited to Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, COSHH Regulations 2002, Data Protection Act 1998, General Data Protection Regulation (applies from May 2018), Working Time Directive 1998, Equality Act 2010 and industry specific regulations. Learners may also make reference to other local laws as relevant. Organisation frameworks may include but are not limited to performance standards, customer service charters, HR and health and safety policies, risk assessment, Lean production, quality standards and policies.

1.3 Contribute to the achievement of organisational targets refers to the organisational strategy, the development and communication of this and how it relates to the delivery of operational plans and may include but are not limited to links between organisational, team and individual targets, work standards, delivery against time, quality and cost requirements.

Understand how to prioritise and set objectives for daily work activities

2.1 Identify priorities refer to the organisation, prioritisation and allocation of work and may include but are not limited to project or business plan activities, RAG (red, amber, green), ABC or 123 rating  related to business need.

2.2 SMART Objectives may include but not limited to specific, measurable, achievable/ agreed, realistic/relevant, timebound.  

3.1 Identify tools which contribute to the efficient completion of daily work activities

3.2 Outline the support provided to the team to complete daily work activities

3.3 Identify the resources provided to the team to complete daily work activities

3.4 Explain how work is allocated to the team members  Indicative content

3.1 Tools refers to using time management techniques (Murphy, 2000; Covey, 1989) to prioritise activities and effectively manage workload and pressure and may include but are not limited to diaries, calendars, to do lists, planners, Lean tools, Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) Cycle (Deming, c.1950s), standardised work procedures, timed task sheets, telephone call templates, apps, collaboration tools, spreadsheets. Efficient may include but are not limited to work standards, budget, timeframes.

3.2 Support refers to supporting team development and improving performance through role modelling values and behaviours, coaching and mentoring, giving feedback and the management of change, able to input into discussions and may include but are not limited to buddies, peer support, super-users, information, advice and guidance, instructions, quality standards, one to one and team meetings, codes of practice and monitoring.

4.1 Explain how to monitor actual progress of work activities against planned performance

4.2 Explain how to respond to problems which may impact on the delivery of daily work activities

4.3 Explain how to provide constructive feedback and have difficult conversations with individuals

Learners may approach the assessment in a number of ways. All assessment criteria must be covered. To enable this to be achieved effectively, the unit has been written in the sequence in which managing daily work activities naturally occurs. The following opportunities are recommendations for guidance purposes only. The learner may be asked to respond to a scenario based on how they would manage daily work activities in an organisation in order to achieve results. The second opportunity would be to write a report based on the principles of managing daily work activities to achieve results.

The learner may draw upon their own experience of managing daily work activities to achieve results within their own organisation.

They may present work based evidence accompanied by reports/reflective accounts to meet each success criteria.