The BALM Task Allocation Model

Let's say that you want to coach a world-class sports team. To be successful, you have to understand the game you're playing and the skills that your team needs to play it.

Then, you assign the the right people to the right roles, depending on their abilities and experience. In football, for example, you wouldn't suddenly ask a defensive player to play offense. It's just not what they're trained for.

You can apply the same principle in the workplace. In this article, we explore how a simple model called BALM can enable you to put the best players in the best positions, to get the best possible results.

What Is the BALM Model?

BALM* is a four-stage process that you can use to allocate tasks to the team members who are best placed to complete them successfully. The acronym stands for:

Break down broad team goals into specific, individual tasks.

Analyze the competencies required to perform each task.

List the competencies of each of your team members.

Match individuals to task competencies.

Using this model gives you and your team clarity about what you need to achieve and how you intend to do it.

How to Use the BALM Model

Let's look at the BALM model in more detail, and examine how you can use it to allocate tasks more effectively. All you need is some sticky notes in different colors and a surface to stick them onto.

1. Break Down Your Goals Into Individual Tasks

First, identify the specific tasks that will enable you to achieve your goal or complete your project. Tools such as the Drill Down Technique and Work Breakdown Structures can help you to clearly set out what's involved.

When you've listed all of the tasks, you can use Eisenhower's Urgent/Important Principle or an Action Plan to rank them in order of priority.

2. Analyze the Competencies Needed for Each Task

Think about the skills, knowledge and expertise that your team needs to complete each task, and write these competencies down on sticky notes. It's easier if all of these competency notes are the same color.

3. List the Competencies of Each Team Member

Consider each of your team members' competencies (creating a Skills Matrix can be useful here) and write those down on sticky notes, too. Choose a different note color for each person.

4. Match People to Tasks

Match up your task requirements with your team members' skills by moving your sticky notes around on a board or table. You may want to consider having a backup person or "substitute" for the most important tasks, too, in case you lose any key team members.

At this point you may discover some overlaps or gaps in your team's competencies. If that's the case, you can employ two further steps, as follows:

5. Identify Skills Overlaps

If you discover that multiple team members are qualified to perform certain tasks, you might choose to assign the best-qualified individuals to the most important tasks. This gives you a degree of certainty that the tasks will be completed to a high standard.

Alternatively, you might choose to allocate tasks to competent but less senior team members. This can reduce costs, and give you the opportunity to develop your less experienced team members (see Getting the Best Results From the BALM Model, below).

6. Identify Skills Gaps

To fill gaps in your team members' capabilities, you have two choices: to train your existing team members, or to hire new ones.

Training is often less expensive than recruitment. What's more, you already know the people concerned and their strengths and weaknesses, and they are familiar with your business and working methods.

On the other hand, a newly trained person may lack practical experience, and it can take time for them to become proficient.

If you recruit a specialist for the job, there's a good chance that the person will be able to "hit the ground running." But recruitment can be costly and time-consuming, so it pays to be aware of the potential pitfalls.

Also, you may not need a full-time employee for a one-off task or short-term project. If this is the case, you may wish to hire a freelancer or a part-time employee instead.

Getting the Best Results From the BALM Model

Although the basic BALM process is quite simple, there are several ways to refine it and make it more effective.

Involve Other People

You don't have to make all of your task allocation decisions on your own. In fact, it's often useful to involve other people – including, where appropriate, your team members themselves.

They may have valuable insights into the specific requirements of each task, and into their own skills and abilities. They may also feel more valued, and will more likely support your decisions, if they are consulted in advance.

You can also talk to colleagues from across your organization to get their input. Collaborating with a diverse range of people enables you to tap into a wider pool of ideas and experience, and can reduce the risk of groupthink or of developing a silo mentality.

Balance Task Requirements With Your Team's Needs

At its core, BALM is a tool for slotting cogs (your people) into a machine (your process), to get things done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Of course, this is important – particularly if you're under pressure or working to a tight deadline.

But, when you're dealing with less urgent tasks, or if there's a degree of flexibility around how and when your projects are completed, BALM also offers you a way to focus on your team's longer-term Career and Personal Developmental Needs.

Perhaps you've identified certain individuals as having some, but not all, of the skills they need for a particular task. Training them in these areas can boost their confidence, performance and motivation, and increase their value to your organization.

However, you may need to provide support with unfamiliar tasks, especially at first, so make sure that a manager or a more experienced co-worker is on hand to offer feedback and assistance.

Communicate Clearly

Good communication is a key part of successful task allocation.

When you assign tasks, be sure that each team member is clearly briefed on what is required, and when. Define each person's role, and spell out their individual responsibilities, authority and accountability (a RACI Matrix is a useful tool here). A team charter is a good way to outline your team's mission, structure and ways of working.

Include your "substitutes" in the briefing process, too. Then, if someone falls ill, takes a vacation, or leaves the team, you can fill their role quickly and prevent delays or bottlenecks.

Monitor Progress

Sometimes, despite your best efforts to match the right person to the right task, the individual you assign doesn't perform as well you expected.

Aim to address this situation as soon as possible. First, talk to your team member. Is the task not what they expected? Do they already have too much on their plate? Do they find the task boring or unchallenging?

In these cases you might decide to reassign the task to someone else, offer feedback and support, or change the scope of the task, for example. (See our article, Dealing With Poor Performance, for more on this.) When you understand why someone isn't performing at their best, you can find a way to resolve the issue.

Originator unknown – please let us know if you know who developed this model.