When a newly appointed administrator struggles to organize, what is the most appropriate first step?

• A. Review his workload with a view to simplifying and condensing it
• B. Immediately allocate some of his tasks to employees
• C. Break the total job into its component parts and plan the time needed for each part
• D. Allow an equal amount of time for each required task

Answer: (A)

When a newly appointed administrator feels overwhelmed by organizing work, the first step is to take a close look at the existing workload and seek ways to simplify and condense it. This helps you reduce unnecessary complexity, eliminate duplications, and focus on what truly matters. By clarifying and narrowing the scope, you create a realistic, manageable foundation on which to plan the rest of the work.

Once the workload is streamlined, you can then break the job into its component parts and estimate how long each part will take, which supports effective scheduling and delegation. Jumping straight into dividing tasks or assigning them, before you have a clear picture of the overall load, often leads to misallocation and lingering disorganization. Similarly, assigning equal time to every task ignores differences in priority and complexity, making the plan impractical.