Does it feel like you hit the ground running in 2018? Whether you’re scrambling to keep up with the demands of the New Year or you’re simply trying to stay on top of all your business to-dos, it can feel tough!
Managing multiple different projects at the same time can feel like a herculean effort. So, as we settle into the New Year and our newsfeeds flood with posts about resolutions, we thought we’d take a more practical approach. Namely, we’re sharing our outline of actual tactics and applications/tools we use to keep projects on track and running smoothly. The following list outlines some of the top resources our team uses. Hope you find some (or all) helpful:
Tactics for Success
Schedule Meetings
It may sound obvious, but scheduling meetings – not only with clients, but with your team - is huge. This is especially true if you have team members who work remotely. Having defined times for checking in helps with:
Building Stronger Relationships
Maintaining Accountability
Providing Support
Collaborating
Remember, not all ‘meetings’ need to be in person. We have team members and clients located throughout the United States. Both regular phone calls and Skype can be fabulous ways to get in touch.
Define Responsibilities
The larger your team, the more important it is to define responsibilities. This most likely isn’t new news. However, it’s all too easy for team members to get confused. Suddenly, two members of your team are both working on the same task while other work goes neglected.
It’s important to note that team members aren’t the only ones with responsibilities. As the boss, you also have responsibilities. Furthermore, your clients may have items they need to deliver to keep the project running smoothly. The key is to make sure everyone’s on the same page.
Follow Up with Emails
After a meeting, following up with an email gives you the opportunity to reach out once more. This helps to further establish relationships.
Additionally, follow up emails that contain details from your conversation act as a written record. We like to mention key points such as dates mentioned, deliverables discussed, and who is responsible for what. This is important because even the best of memories are no match for the written word.
Double-Check Work
This is definitely an internal task, but we utilize a variety of steps to double- and triple-check work. These include:
Sharing documents for a final review
Texting visuals for quick feedback
Running documents through Grammarly, a fabulous online grammar and spell check software
Remember, You’re Not Always in Control
Life gets crazy. The dog won’t stop barking. Your computer crashes and needs a hard reset. The construction crew two blocks down cut the wrong line and your entire block loses power.
Deep breath. Remember, you’re not always in control.
This step is easier said than done. But the reality is, fretting over the stuff you can’t control keeps you from focusing on the items you can.
Applications/Tools for Success
Asana
Beyond the simple email follow-up we discussed above, Asana is a fantastic online tool for managing projects. It allows your team to clearly delegate responsibilities, define next steps, and track progress.
Google Drive
Google Drive is one of our go-to tools for collaborating with team members and clients. This fabulous tool is ultra-robust, allowing you to create documents, store data, and share files.
Some of our team members have abandoned traditional word processing software altogether, preferring Google Drive’s Google Doc and Google Spreadsheet features.
One of the things we love the most about Google drive is the ability to view and revert back to previous versions. Google Drive tracks the history, so you never lose any data. (It does so down to individual keystrokes!)
Slack
While email and phone calls are wonderful, sometimes they’re a bit too much. Exchanging a quick text message can often be enough without intruding on a colleague’s time. Slack is a great app that lets you shoot quick notes between desktops and phones. We also use iMessage with some of our team members, as it integrates well with many of our devices.
Have a tactic or tool you love? Pop over the Twitter and share it with us!
