The Center for Creative Community

Division of Work

@ -- permission for use-with-acknowledgment Prepared by
Ivan Scheier

The Voluntas Institute
April 12-16, 1992
Ghost Ranch, New Mexico
The Center for Creative Community
Sante Fe, New Mexico

 

Sometimes an overall job or piece or work includes components which might have very different "motivational values" for people.

For Example: "Please Take Care of the Potluck for Volunteers" can include sub-tasks such as:

--Decide who’s to be invited
--Select date, time, place
--Design invitations
--Address and mail invitations
--Arrange food
--Plan and get equipment for games
--Etc.

(Obviously, some tasks can’t reasonably be divided for delegation to different people; for example, dividing typing into what the left hand does vs what the right hand does.

The Danger is the Negative Components Will "Infect" the Whole
Example: Your potential potluck volunteer cordially detests organizing people so there won’t be nine salads and no dessert. Though willing and even eager on the other components, she (he) turns you down on the overall job because of the negative sign on "arrange food."

Therefore "splitting" or dividing a task into component parts will sometimes get you "Yes’s" where before you were getting "no’s," because you now allow people to choose parts that appeal to them.

Example: Our potential potluck volunteer can now avoid the food arranging and is more likely to say yes to some or all of the other parts.

In the same way, division can be an excellent way to begin planning work for a Committee or group. Once the overall work is divided, each individual is more able to sign on for things she/he most likes to do and can do best, while avoiding the rest. When this situation is maximized for the entire group, there’s a better chance the overall task will be accomplished willingly and effectively.

Some Cautions:

1. Be specific about the components. You can always combine elements later.
2. Now that each individual tends to have a smaller piece of the action, we must be especially careful they still understand how their piece fits in the overall picture.
3. Once divided, a piece of work stands more in need of a coordinator role.

Now try it out on examples such as tutoring failing high school students, chairing a board meeting, planning a volunteer recognition event, fund-raising, or any task you’re worried about turndowns on.

Better a Partial Yes Than A Complete No.

Elaborations of The Division Process

In the first example, people sign on with their initials (‘R,’ ‘M,’ ‘J," etc.) If they’re willing, and hopefully even glad to do a particular component of the overall task. The question mark means we haven’t yet found someone willing or glad to do this, and may not even have decided whether the task is necessary at all.

Teach Children (10-15 years old) to read and write and also add and subtract

_____ Find out how many children need this
_____ Identify who these children are
_____ Get cooperation of their parents, family
_____ Get cooperation of the children
_____ Get cooperation of the church
_____ Get cooperation of the school teachers
_____ Train the volunteers in how to teach reading and arithmetic to children
_____ Get books, writing, and other materials to use in teaching the children
_____ Match volunteers and children
_____ Raise _____ money ( about $3,000 U.S.)
_____ Get small gifts to reward children who do good work in the program
_____ Get small fits for volunteers
_____ Coordinate the overall effect

A further elaboration of the division process is called a "work assignment grid." If enables you to see the larger pattern of who wants or does not want to do which task. This helps to make better delegation or work distribution decisions

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Ivan Scheier
Stillpoint
607 Marr
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, 87901
Tel (505) 894-1340
Email: ivan@zianet.com

For comments and editing suggestions please contact Mary Lou McNatt mlmcnatt@indra.com