Completed Staff Work

While it has existed in public and private organizations and in various forms, to me Completed Staff Work is the analysis of a problem/opportunity and the solution in final written form ready for supervisor approval or disapproval.

BASIC CONCEPTS:
Problem/Opportunity – Should be clear, concise statement
Alternatives – present different methods, procedures with costs/revenue projections, percent of probability or accuracy.
Solutions – Best case, Worst case, Best guess
Four “Q’s” should be answered:
1. Where are we?
2. How did we get here?
3. Where do we want to go?
4. How are we going to get there?

Employee should work out details for themselves:
Help Supervisor make decisions
Provides answers, not questions
Time is valuable – helps better use that time
Results in a single document prepared for signature
Final Product submitted in Finished Form
Results in more work for staff member

Accomplishes two things:
1. Supervisor is protected from half-baked ides, voluminous memoranda, and impromptu oral presentations
2. Staff member is more readily able to find a market for their idea

DO
Consult with other staff members, seek diversity of opinion and objective criticism
Study, write and rewrite
Correct spelling, punctuation, continuity and logical thought patterns
Answer the 5 W’s and 1 H:
When?
Who?
Where?
Why?
What?
How?
Submit final copy only

DON’T
Ask Supervisor what to do when the problem is difficult
Worry Supervisor with long explanations and memoranda
Submit a rough draft to Supervisor expecting him/her to rewrite the correspondence

KEEP IN MIND
Writing correspondence does not constitute Completed Staff Work
Do not submit an incomplete product
“Rough drafts” or “brainstorming” ideas are usually not considered finished product

WHEN IS STAFF WORK COMPLETED?
It’s completed when you can answer “Yes” to this question:
If you were the supervisor, would you sign the paper and stake your professional reputation on it?

Have you used Completed Staff Work?

Please let me know your thoughts on the doctrine of Completed Staff Work by posting a comment here, sending an email to: dewpointe318@cs.com or by visiting my website at: www.dewpointe.com.

All the best,

Dave Westfall, MBA
Business Coach

©1993-2007 David E. Westfall All rights reserved.