Several supervisors have told us they have difficulty measuring the results of their secretaries' work rather than the activities they perform. In the first article in this series, we described a results-focused method for measuring the accomplishments of a research scientist by charting the flow of the scientist's work. Because the purpose of a scientist's work is very different from that of a secretary's, a different method for measuring work better fits the secretary's role—a customer-focused method. (You can find this and several other methods for measuring results in A Handbook for Measuring Employee Performance, available on our website.
Focusing on Customer Expectations. The first step to a customer-focused method is to ask the following questions:
By asking these questions, a supervisor and secretary could develop the following list of customers and their expectations. Note that we list customer expectations as products or services, not activities.
Customers |
Supervisor and Staff |
Other Agency Offices and the Public |
Administrative Officer |
---|---|---|---|
Expected Products and Services |
|
|
|
Note: This example is very general and represents a minimum framework of what a performance plan could include.
Example Elements and Standards. By using a customer-focused method, and by describing the results of the secretary's activities rather than the activities themselves, supervisors and secretaries might develop a performance plan that includes the following elements and standards:
Element: Administrative Support Results. Products or services include a file system, time and attendance records, a calendar, travel arrangements, and draft correspondence.
Fully Successful Standard: The supervisor typically finds that:
Element: Office Information
Fully Successful Standard: The supervisor typically finds that:
Originally published June 2000
This page can be found on the web at the following url: http://www.opm.gov/perform/articles/2000/jun00-5.asp