How do you coordinate resource allocation across different units and functions?

What I’ve learned during my career is that every resource is limited. Be it time, money, Human Resources. The best approach is to determine what is most important for your current task and allocate said resources accordingly. What I’ve noticed numerous times is that the ability to prioritize your action plan results in the most optimum strategy implementation. Resources are scars, but your creativity to use them efficiently and effectively is unlimited.

Gone are the days where departments work in silos and stakeholders aren’t pointing fingers versus helping build others up. If you don’t have a company where walls are being broken sound and stakeholders are co-collaborating for the great good of the organization it may be time to dust off that resume. In order for a company to strategically success on your goals you all need to work together. Full stop!

Here's a concise guide on resource allocation in organizations for the 2020s: 1. **Data-Driven Decision Making**: Utilize analytics and AI tools to understand where resources are most effective. 2. **Agile Frameworks**: Adopt agile methodologies, allowing for rapid adjustments to allocation based on real-time feedback. 3. **Employee Skilling**: Invest in continuous learning. Resources are best utilized when teams are skilled in contemporary tools and methods. 4. **Prioritize Projects**: Use frameworks like the Eisenhower Box to categorize and prioritize tasks. 5. **Stakeholder Collaboration**: Engage all stakeholders in resource allocation discussions to ensure alignment with organizational goals.

In my experience, resources are scarce and one needs to effectively allocate resources to achieve the organization’s short and long term needs. This can be achieved through prioritizing what is urgent and what can wait temporarily though it is relatively and depends on the stage of every organization.

Having seen through in close quarters projects involving multiple stakeholders and on Aircraft Carriers where we need to allocate manpower and resources to various requirements and at times, all seeking priority. What does a Leader do. Disclaimer: We cannot please everyone and therefore, Clarity of Purpose is foremost. Aligning with the Business Goal, or in simple terms 'have we understood the requirements and have we prioritised the steps'. If that is done, we are on track. Many a times, in most organisations, we only see 'Fireworks', everything is on priority and that cant be realised. There needs to be a broad plan and every sprint goal has to be defined. A good leader would take his time in defining the strategy and allocate resources

Effective resource allocation across diverse units and functions demands a strategic approach that goes beyond mere numbers. In a past project in a leading tech company, known for its innovative products, we faced a challenge. We had to allocate resources for two promising projects, each championed by different units. Instead of a rigid decision, we fostered communication and collaboration. We brought together the heads of both units, encouraging an open dialogue. Through this process, we discovered that the projects could complement each other, leading to a ground-breaking hybrid solution. Resource allocation is a dynamic journey, where teamwork and dialogue steer the course towards optimal results.

As someone rightly said that 'projects are like an orchestra', every instrument has to synchronise and there's one symphony coordinator. If each one decides his only way of playing the tune, that could be a disaster. So, the leader needs to communicate and ensure that every team member is in sync. The communication has to be a closed loop and not an open loop. If there is no feedback retrieval system, then the system is short lived. We need to hone this system and that's the difficult part. Every member will have constraints but not without solution and those solutions will emerge during communication. Communication need not be formal and therefore there should be openness in the culture. Rigidity breeds discontent.

An important but even now underrated part of this conversation are your collaboration tools. Technology is a core part of this conversation.

In my experience, finding the right balance between efficiency and effectiveness is crucial for managing resources in any undertaking. Often, we observe situations where one aspect dominates the other. A team that excels in efficiency might fail to achieve their goal, signaling a decrease in effectiveness. On the other hand, an effective team that reaches its goal could waste resources, revealing inefficiencies. Thus, the key to successful monitoring of resource allocation lies in making sure there is a balance between these two crucial aspects.

A very crucial aspect is to understand how well have the resources been utilised. In a very recent develop, i developed a simple tool in my work place only to understand how much of resources is actually required to do a work. We started collating this data wherein i asked my team to calculate even the drive time from office to the place of execution, teatime, discussions, work execution, interruptions, rework, deliberations and even allocated time for phone calls(both from office and home!). That was to understand, how much of slack do we have. The efforts were not in vain. We generated substantive data which could help all future projects in resource planning and therefore, monitoring and evaluating the process is key in every project

Continuous improvement is essential part of any process as any process can become obsolete with rapid change in technology, business priorities or even cyclical changes in economy. Recently we also saw even Big Techs laying off in large number which forced us to focus our resources on what's critical and important for the business. Everything can't be a priority. Hence, a vision of near and long term goals combined with clear deliverables on quarterly/yearly basis (keep some room to revisit the goals based on feedback on minimum half-yearly basis) published and advertised can go a long way. Also, the feedback from Stakeholders should be analysed to understand improvement areas or upcoming trends so that we are prepared when the time comes.

Resources are always scarce. There never would be an occasion where managers are happy with the manpower or funds. Its the repository knowledge that leaders possess that comes handy. In a country like India where Human workforce is plenty, we find job places crowded and teeming with people performing various tasks. The same work in Europe would be augmented with technology. So, resource planning is subjective to the availability. Every resource is critical but at no point of time should there be laxity in utilisation. Resources being projected with sub-optimal utilisation is not good leadership. A potential Leader well understands that resources will keep dwindling but if processes are concrete, then structures will not crumble in strife