Find the closure jobs everyone assumes someone else owns
- Reading time
- 2 minutes
- Last reviewed
Ask two people who owns the same closure task. If each names the other, you have found a responsibility gap. If both claim it, check whether they mean the same work.
These gaps often appear at handovers. The accountant may expect the business to provide an asset list; the business may expect the auctioneer to establish ownership; the auctioneer may be waiting for an authorised scope. None of those expectations should be left implicit.
Test five joins in the plan
- A customer question reaches the person deciding whether equipment remains needed.
- An adviser answer reaches the person authorised to act on it.
- A departing employee's open work reaches a confirmed recipient.
- A premises constraint reaches the people arranging site activity.
- A changed disposal instruction reaches everyone using the earlier version.
Adapt the joins to your business. The exercise checks information and responsibility, not a universal sequence of closure tasks.
For each join, name the producer, recipient and evidence of acceptance. A document being sent is not always enough. The recipient may need to ask a question before using it.
A responsibility is more than a name
Describe the output expected. "Alex handles records" could mean locating files, reviewing retention needs, maintaining access or answering later requests. Those are different tasks and may involve different authority.
Use the workstream map to keep the overall division clear. If someone is coordinating an answer from a specialist, state that; do not assign them the specialist judgement itself.
A fictional owner believes a manager will handle all site matters after trading ends. The manager expects only to open the gate for prearranged visits. Comparing their descriptions exposes the gap before a visitor arrives with a question nobody is prepared to answer.
Record the agreed remit and the escalation route. Check that the person has the availability, competence and appropriate authority for the role. Seek specialist advice where those limits are uncertain.
The exercise is especially useful before handing over the closure plan. A new coordinator needs to know what each person actually does, not simply inherit a contact list.
During the weekly review, ask whether any action has become ownerless because a person left, a scope changed or an external provider's role ended. Update the record rather than assuming the departing person remains available.
For asset disposal, agree the business-side contact with UK Auction Group. Make clear who supplies facts, who obtains adviser answers and who can give instructions. That division prevents the sale discussion from becoming the place where unresolved internal responsibilities first surface.
Explore closure planning.
Sources
This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.