The  next  step  is  to  consider  personnel  assignments, space assignment, and available equipment to perform the  tasks. Flexibility Planning  must  be  flexible  because  sometimes  the best of plans have to be revised. When a system fails to work as efficient y as you had expected, then you should make  a  change.  Supervisors  should  always  be  alert  and observe how their plans are working and readjust where necessaary. You should also observe changes in function, personnel,  or  working  conditions  and  modify  those plans  accordingly. On  the  other  hand,  frequent  reorganization  of procedures  usually  indicates  faulty  original  planning and  may  reflect  unfavorably  on  your  competence  as  a supervisor. Your subordinates may recognize this fault and  resent  having  to  move  office  furniture  or  perform other tasks of reorganization simply because you did not plan properly in the first place. ORGANIZATION The  fact  that  your  organization  may  be  relatively simple in structure does not diminish in any way the importance   of   having   a   clear   and   well-balanced structure. Individuals should know what is expected of them and what authority they have. This does not mean that your personnel should not be expected to help each other from time to time or that you cannot reassign them as required. It merely furnishes an established and generally understood system of operation. Duties and Responsibilities You  should  make  sure  that  everyone  understands their assigned duties and what you expect him or her to accomplish,  You  are  responsible  to  provide  training  to those  persons  new  to  the  job.  After  providing  the training, observe the operation until you are sure your directions  are  understood  and  are  being  carried  out. Remember  the  principle  of  matching  authority  with responsibility.  When  you  put  a  petty  officer  in  charge of a specific assignment, make sure you also inform the personnel  who  perform  the  tasks  involved.  Be  explicit about the authority you give to someone and make sure that the individual does not overstep that authority. Everyone is briefed at basic training about the chain of command.  This  important  element  should  continue throughout your career, and as a supervisor, you should make sure everyone in your charge is aware of the chain of command in your section. When you assign duties, you should give similar or related   tasks   to   the   same   person.   The   proper combination of duties not only speeds operations by eliminating  wasted  motion,  but  also  improves  accuracy. Work  Assignments All AKs are expected to be able to perform the duties of their rating at the rate level they hold. This uniformity  is  a  necessary  condition  to  naval organization. However, this should not prevent you from  considering  that  each  individual  may  have  special talents and preferences. A good supervisor determines what each individual can do best and what each one enjoys  well  enough  to  put  forth  extra  effort  into performing the task. This pays dividends in quantity and quality of work and also increases morale. The workload should be divided fairly. The uneven distribution of workloads tend to lower morale and create  bottlenecks.  Review  each  person’s  workload  to make sure that everyone is performing his or her fair share.  Sometimes  an  individual  who  seems  to  be overloaded may need some guidance on how to organize the work better or how to speed up routine operations. COMMAND The  element  of  command  basically  means  to  take charge.  The  results  of  your  area  of  responsibility depend upon the actions you take and how well you carry  out  your  assignment. Decisions One  of  the  most  significant  indications  of  command is   the   power   to   make   decisions.   The   individual exercising  command  not  only  is  allowed  to  make decisions, but is expected to make them. As a supervisor, you must learn what types of decisions are within your responsibility. You  must  then  exercise  sufficient self-discipline  to  make  those  decisions  necessary  and  to abide by the consequences. It is a serious mistake to try to make decisions that are beyond your authority, but it is  equally  serious  to  refuse  to  stand  up  to  your responsibilities when decisions are required of you. Coordination Coordination is the effort that ties work functions together to make the operation run smoothly. Even 1-9