When Transitioning to a Management Role, Mastering Work Inspection Is Essential

Original

Over the years, in conversations with numerous managers, I have often heard them complain, "I explained the tasks clearly and thoroughly, but employees still can’t get them right. The final deliverables are either unusable or completely different from what I intended." Typically, at this point, I ask them, "Did you inspect the work during the process?" Most are left speechless. They had not conducted any inspections along the way, and instead fixated solely on the end results while neglecting the process. In management, if you fail to inspect work in progress, small issues will escalate into major problems, and you will ultimately be the one to bear the consequences. Therefore, when transitioning to a management role, mastering work inspection is essential.

Three Misunderstandings in Inspecting Work

Inspecting work is not simply going through the motions. Many managers fail to achieve results even when they inspect work, and this is often because they fall into one of three key mistakes.

1. Randomization: Relying on Feelings Rather Than Standards

Some managers approach work inspection in an extremely random way. There are no fixed inspection checkpoints or clear criteria, and what to inspect is entirely based on the manager’s "whims." This randomness manifests in two common scenarios. The first scenario is neglect followed by sudden scrutiny. After assigning tasks, these managers completely ignore progress. It is not until the end of the month that they discover their subordinates have only completed 50% of the goals. At that point, they hurry to confront the team: "What’s going on? Why is the progress so far behind?" Unsurprisingly, the subordinates are flustered in response: "You didn’t mention priorities earlier. How were we supposed to know which tasks mattered most? Now you’re holding us accountable. Isn’t this unfair targeting?" The second scenario is sporadic, unstructured inspection. These managers recognize the need to inspect work but do so without a plan. They check in occasionally, following up on progress in the morning, questioning methods in the afternoon, and demanding strategy changes by evening. With two inspections a day, each bringing new demands, employees are left confused and unable to focus on steady execution. In short, without clear standards, excessive randomness in inspection allows problems to remain hidden instead of being solved, and this ultimately undermines the purpose of work inspection itself.

2. Formalization: Emphasizing Form Over Actual Effectiveness

Some managers do inspect work, but their inspections remain superficial and lack the depth required to truly solve problems. Their approach is highly standardized: they hold weekly meetings to listen to reports and monthly meetings to follow up on progress. However, they merely go through the motions of conducting these meetings without engaging in meaningful discussions about whether the work is being done well or how it could be improved. For example, when the team fails to achieve its goals, they do not examine data reports in detail. They neglect to ask critical questions such as, "Which specific tasks were not performed well, leading to the failure?" or "What adjustments should be made?" and therefore fail to provide practical solutions. They use "whether the work was done" as their main criterion, overlooking the fact that the ultimate purpose of inspection is to ensure the effectiveness of the work. This is similar to a teacher who only checks "whether the exam paper is fully answered" instead of "whether the answers are correct" when grading a student’s exam. In the end, such an approach results in following the process but achieving no meaningful outcomes.

3. Over-Inspection: Focusing on Trivial Matters While Ignoring the Important Ones

This is also a very common issue. Managers do inspect work, but they check too meticulously, even to the point of interfering with employees' normal workflow. For instance, when a subordinate writes meeting minutes, the manager may check every punctuation mark word by word; when a subordinate creates an event budget, the manager verifies every decimal point. This is purely an excessive focus on minor details, which adds little value. Managers have limited time and energy, and cannot inspect everything; similarly, work varies in importance, so not everything requires the same level of scrutiny. If you spend time on trivial matters such as punctuation marks, which are irrelevant to the overall outcome, you will naturally have no energy to focus on issues that truly affect results, such as achieving core goals and solving key problems. In the end, the team may lose its direction in a sea of minor details. Inspection that fails to prioritize key points becomes an ineffective form of internal friction, one that "focuses on trivial matters while ignoring the important ones."

The above are the three common misunderstandings in inspecting work. If the method is wrong, the inspection will not be effective.

What Constitutes a Good Inspection?

So, what is a good inspection?

1. Inspect Work Status

Status is always the top priority. When a person’s state changes, their level of diligence will also change accordingly. With a good state, they are willing to take the initiative to overcome even the most difficult tasks; with a poor state, they will handle even the simplest work perfunctorily. Therefore, if a subordinate’s state is not right, you should identify and guide them in a timely manner to help them adjust quickly. It should be noted that state is contagious. If one person is in a bad mood or performing poorly, others around will notice, and gradually it will affect the entire team’s morale. Adjustments should be made as soon as possible. You need to "sense the atmosphere." Simply walk around the office and observe employees’ mental states, and you will understand. When you encounter a subordinate in a poor state, do not rush to criticize. First, understand the reasons behind it: Are they facing personal issues? Are they stuck in their work? Or are there other troubles? Talk with them, address the emotional concerns first, and then tackle the work matters.

2. Inspect Work Methods

A good inspection should "focus on methods." That is, you should pay attention to whether your subordinates’ thinking and the methods they use are correct, and whether these methods can help achieve goals efficiently, rather than merely looking at "how much work they have done" or "how fast they have done it." Let me give a simple example: I once managed a salesperson who was very hardworking, often worked late, and made dozens of calls every day. But strangely, he never closed a deal. I was curious, so I reviewed his working methods. I discovered that he was not following the training we provided. He did not classify customers or use different sales scripts for different types of clients. As a result, he made many calls, but with very poor outcomes. Later, I asked him to adjust his methods, and soon he began closing deals.

The core of inspecting methods is "correcting the direction of thinking." As a manager, you need to have your subordinates explain their reasoning and logic, so you can judge whether their methods align with the goals and are efficient. If there are deviations, correct them promptly and provide specific suggestions for improvement. If the method is wrong, no matter how fast the work is done, it is merely "ineffective busyness." If the method is correct, you can achieve twice the results with half the effort.

3. Inspect Work Progress

Why are goals sometimes not achieved? Often, it is because there are issues with progress. For example, at a certain stage, progress should have reached 60% according to the plan, but in reality, it is only at 20%. A good inspection must include checking progress and closely monitoring "key milestones" to ensure goals are met. What are key milestones? They are the core phases that affect goal achievement. By closely watching these milestones, you can manage the overall work situation. It should be noted that inspecting progress does not mean "monitoring every detail and pressuring subordinates daily." This approach will place excessive pressure on them, preventing them from performing their work effectively.

The core of inspecting progress is "focusing on key points and controlling the rhythm." You need to identify key milestones in the work, such as requirements confirmation, draft planning, core development, and result acceptance, and focus your inspection on these stages. You should not only ask about the progress of work but also pay attention to the problems behind any delays and help subordinates solve them. Of course, you can also break down goals and inspect progress on a monthly or weekly basis. Weekly meetings are actually very suitable for inspection. Unlike daily meetings, which are too frequent, or monthly or quarterly meetings, which have intervals that are too long, weekly meetings allow for timely correction of deviations and problem-solving.

4. Inspect Work Processes

Processes are extremely important. A good process often acts as an amplifier for the company’s business. It can simplify complex matters and standardize chaotic ones. For example, in sales work, tasks such as how to visit customers, how to ask questions, and how to identify customer needs can be very complicated. But you can refine a set of processes and have everyone follow them, ensuring that no one deviates from the right track during execution. However, some processes are overly cumbersome and reduce work efficiency. Processes should serve the work. If a process complicates the workflow and reduces efficiency, it should be optimized promptly. Only processes that genuinely improve work efficiency are good processes.

5. Inspect Work Habits

Work habits determine a person’s long-term performance. As a manager, you should not only evaluate how well your subordinates are performing their current tasks but also inspect whether they have developed good work habits. Without good habits, it is easy to repeat the same mistakes and struggle to grow; good habits, on the other hand, enable continuous development.

Typically focus on inspecting two habits in my subordinates: The first is planning. Before starting work, do they think deeply? Do they use a "priority list"? Do they tackle "important and urgent" tasks first, rather than handling things haphazardly? The second is reflection. After completing work, whether the outcome is good or bad, do they summarize what was done well and what needs improvement? Without reflection, there is no growth. Reflection is something that must be done consistently, persistently, and continuously. Inspecting work habits is, in essence, providing long-term empowerment to employees. Finally, to summarize: When moving into a management position, you must be skilled in inspecting work. Specifically, inspections should cover five aspects: work status, work methods, work progress, work processes, and work habits.