Unit 11: Assigning Action Points

USEFUL TIPS:

Ask people to agree to action points rather than simply telling them to do something.
For a general action point, e.g. organizing somebody to look after visitors to a company, offer the opportunity to anybody from the team. It may be seen as attractive, especially if it involves entertaining the visitors.
If the action point is unattractive, such as writing the minutes of a meeting, and nobody volunteers, then ask the most qualified person. If necessary, ask if they can reprioritize other tasks.
Summarize who is responsible for what and when they have agreed to deliver.

Conversation

Janette is having a meeting with her team – Lucy, Fabian, and Tony – to discuss the rollout of a software program.

Janette: ...and we need to work together with SAP experts on this if we want to get the rollout to work properly, right?
Lucy, Fabian, and Tony: Yeah. Looks like it.
Janette: So, we need to speak to SAP about running a training program for all the system users. Could you handle that, Lucy?
Lucy: Sure, I'll call Dieter Grossmann.
Janette:How soon can you finish the complete training program,do you think?
Lucy: To train everybody, we'll need about three months. So, not until the end of September.
Janette: Great, now the project kick-off meeting. We all agreed to have it on the twentieth of July but nobody has done anything yet, have they? No, I thought not. I know I haven't! Well, we need to move fast on that, so Fabian, could you deal with that? Invitations to start with, refreshments, you know.
Fabian: Of course.
Janette:When will the invitations be ready, do you think?
Fabian: I'll do them this afternoon.
Janette: Fine. I'd like to have them out by this evening. Now, next week one of our biggest customers, Dimitri Mischkovic, is coming from Moscow to visit the company. He's arriving on Friday night and is staying here until Wednesday next week. Originally, I was going to take him out in London at the weekend, but my mother is in hospital. So I need somebody to take him out, all expenses paid bythe company, of course. Who would like to take responsibility for this?
Tony: Oh, I don't mind. I mean, if nobody else wants to that is.
Fabian: That's OK with me.
Lucy: I don't think my boyfriend would like me going around London with somebody else anyway!
Janette: Good, I'll send you the details, Tony. Now, item number four on the agenda: we are going to be audited.
Tony, Fabian and Lucy: No. Not again! So soon?
Janette: Yes. Company policy, I'm afraid. I need somebody to write a report on our business activities over the last twelve months. Is anybody interested in doing that? Tony, how do you feel about taking responsibility for that? You have the most experience.
Tony: Well, it's a bit difficult, Janette, you know. I've got the department meeting to organize and then the budget to do and then MrMischkovic.
Fabian: I could look after MrMischkovic for you, Tony.
Tony: No, I mean, I'm not saying I —
Janette: Would you mind prioritizing this, Tony? It's really very important.
Tony: Oh. Well, I suppose so.
Janette: Thanks. Can you send me the report by Friday midday? Then you can relax over the weekend with MrMischkovic!

Understanding

Make notes about the points agreed upon during the meeting.

Employee Task(s) allocated Finish date/time
Tony Taking care of Dimitri Mischkovic during his stay This weekend


Lucy


Fabian

Saying it accurately

Read these requests and decide in which category they belong. Follow the examples.
asking for volunteers to complete a task: 1
allocating a task to a particular person: 2
determining a completion time for the task: 3

1.Would anyone like to put themselves forward for this?
2.Can I leave that with you, Jean?
3.Can you send me that by next Monday?
4.Could you take care of that, Kumiko?
5.How soon do you think you can finish that?
6.I'm looking for somebody to look after this.
7.Is anybody interested in doing this?
8.Could you deal with that?
9.Who would like to take responsibility for the minutes?
10.Is end February realistic as a deadline?
11.When will that be ready, do you think?
12.Could you handle that?
13.Will you be able to get that done by tomorrow?
14.Would you take responsibility for that, David?
15.Are there any volunteers to do this?

Complete these requests with words from the box.

1.Can you take care ………that?
2.Is anyone interested ……… doing this?
3.Who would like to take responsibility ……... this?
4.How do you feel ……... doing this?
5.When do you think the report will be ready …….. ?
6.Will you deal …….. that for me?

Complete the conversation with questions above.

Janette:OK, and we also need to decide who is going to prepare the financial statements that the auditors will need to see(1)……………………………………?
Fabian, (2) …………………………………………………………………?
Fabian: I suppose so.
J: Great, thanks. (3) ……………………………………………………… ?
F: Would first thing Monday morning be OK?
J: Perfect, so, moving on...