Two pairs of eyes
Dev finishes a sales report and is sure it is right. A colleague, Rae, checks the fruit pot total against the till and finds it is out by two.
A review done together finds what one person cannot see. It only works if you set it up well.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Review | Looking at work together to check and improve it. | Rae checks Dev's report |
| Validate | Check that a result is correct and fit for its use. | Match the report to the till |
| Parameter | A limit or setting that shapes a review. | Who the reader is |
| Business problem | The question the business needs answered. | Do we need more staff at 12:30? |
| Active listening | Giving the speaker full attention and showing you heard. | Repeating their main point |
| Reconcile | Compare two sets of figures and explain any difference. | Report totals against till totals |
| Summary | A short list of the key points and what was agreed. | Three bullets after the meeting |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can set the parameters of a review, validate results with others, and summarise the outcome.
Starter: what you already know
Have a go
Starter: what you already know
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Step 1: set the parameters
Before you meet, agree three things. First, the level of technical information each person needs. Second, the desired outcome: what must be decided or agreed. Third, the business problem the results answer.
Write them at the top of the agenda.
Parameters for the sales report review
| Parameter | Agreed for this review |
|---|---|
| Technical level | Dev and Rae: full method. Canteen manager: plain words and the answer only |
| Desired outcome | Agree the totals are right, or list what to fix, by Thursday |
| Business problem | Do we need more staff at 12:30? |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Step 2: apply validation techniques
Validation means testing the result. Compare it with the source. Recalculate a sample by hand. Check if the answer is sensible, for example that sales cannot be below zero. Ask a second person to repeat the method.
Use the right technical word for each check, so everyone knows what was tested.
Try it: reconcile report and till
select r.meal, r.reported, t.counted,
r.reported - t.counted as difference
from report r
join till t on t.meal = r.meal
order by r.meal;
-- Try it: add where r.reported <> t.counted before order by.
Check: which technique?
Have a go
Check: which technique?
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.