Supervisor Foundations · Lesson 2.4

ASSIGN RESPONSIBILITY CLEARLY

A common workplace problem is assuming that “someone” will handle something.

When responsibility is shared too vaguely, responsibility may disappear.

A supervisor should clarify:

Poor

“Can somebody call the supplier?”

Everyone assumes another person will do it.

Better

“Chika, please call the supplier and confirm whether the stock will arrive today. Let me know by 1:00 p.m.”

EXAMPLE 1 — RESTAURANT

“Someone should check the freezer temperature.”

Too vague.

BETTER RESPONSE

“Bola, please complete the temperature check before opening and report any reading outside the approved range.”

EXAMPLE 2 — OFFICE

Three people are copied on an email asking for a document.

Nobody knows who owns the task.

BETTER RESPONSE

The supervisor should name the responsible person.

EXAMPLE 3 — SCHOOL

A parent complaint is discussed by several staff members, but nobody is assigned to follow up.

The parent receives no response.

EXAMPLE 4 — SALON

A client needs to be contacted after a service problem.

One employee gathers the details, but another person is assigned responsibility for contacting the client.

Roles should be explicit.

Remember

Shared work still needs clear ownership.

Workplace action

Look for one current task where responsibility may be unclear. Assign an owner.

Quick Check

What is the clearest delegation?