Posts by Lionel Valdellon

Leadership 3 min read

How to Build a Killer Growth Engine (Work Management Roundup)

It's Friday, November 20th. That means Hunger Games: The Mockingjay Part 2 is being released in theaters across the US — which is more relevant to work than you may think. After all, your company is competing against others in your industry for customers and capital — you're Katniss in your own right! Here is our roundup of links that will give you and your organization an edge over the other "tributes." May the odds be ever in your favor. How to Build a Killer Startup Growth Engine (Dan Martell): Entrepreneur Dan Martell shares the formula for creating a killer growth engine: it's a great marketing strategy + product story + product marketing. Study Links Daily Coffee Habit To Longevity (NPR): Rejoice, coffee addicts! A new study by the Harvard School of Public Health says that people who drink 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day have a 15% lower risk of premature death compared to non-coffee drinkers. And even decaf drinkers see benefits. You Have 70,000 Thoughts a Day. This is How to Organize Them for Maximum Productivity (Quartz): With so much going on in your head, how do you manage it all? Here are five steps to organize and declutter your mind so you're on track for a productive day. How to Be Good at Managing Both Introverts and Extroverts (HBR): Some excellent tips on balancing the needs of different personality types in your team. Best tips: promote privacy, and rethink the workday (eg: no meetings before 12:30 PM). What Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Steve Jobs About Silicon Valley (Fortune): Wrike CEO Andrew Filev answers the question "How important is it for startups to be in Silicon Valley?” More Work Management Reads Think About This: The Cult of Productivity is Preventing You From Being Productive (Quartz) Retailers Failing When Using Social Media to Answer Complaints (Forbes) Don't Believe These 5 Leadership Myths That Undermine Your Confidence (Entrepreneur) How to Run 4 Miles When You Really Don't Want To (Jon Acuff) Go Try This: How to Be Confident and Reduce Stress in 2 Minutes Per Day (James Clear) 10 Marketing Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs (Slideshare) The Simple Technique to Fit a 40-Hour Workweek Into 16.7 Hours (Fast Company) Browse The Work Management Roundup on Flipboard If you use Flipboard on your mobile device, then you can choose to read these links via The Work Management Roundup magazine. View my Flipboard Magazine.

Project Management 3 min read

Don't Become a Project Manager from Hell!

Being a PM aint easy, but there's no reason to do what these Project Managers from Hell did to their teams.

Marketing 5 min read

7 MarTech Blogs to Follow

As the world of marketing continues to expand and the user experience becomes an increasingly critical focus for businesses everywhere, marketing operations and marketing technology (a.k.a., MarTech) become crucial areas to focus on. What better way to stay on top of this subject than by reading the thought leadership of the bloggers in the space? Here is our list of 7 MarTech blogs you should be reading: 1. Marketing Land's Martech Today: http://marketingland.com/library/channel/martechRun by Matt McGee and the same team that produces Search Engine Land, Marketing Land reports on everything marketing-related. But it is Marketing Land's MarTech Today channel that falls within the scope of this post. The channel is well-stocked and updated daily with the latest in the marketing technology space. Sample content: Mobile Marketer FollowAnalytics Follows The Trend Toward Messaging “Moments” Marketer’s Guide: B2B Marketing Automation Platforms 2. Brian Solis: http://www.briansolis.com Brian Solis, futurist and digital analyst at Altimeter Group, studies the effects of disruptive technology on business and even society in general. His posts may tackle marketing and disruptors in the MarTech space, but will also touch on the customer experience, and Silicon Valley behind-the-scenes. Sample content: How To Unify Your Sales, Service and Marketing Departments Around Customer Experience Wolfpack App is a Mobile Social Nichework for Guys to be Guys – Is this the Dawn of Social Nicheworks? 3. Marketing TechBlog: www.marketingtechblog.comThe Marketing TechBlog run by the team at DK New Media and founded by Douglas Karr, is another news source that covers a wide range of topics — from advertising and analytics to automation, mobile, ecommerce, and much more. Sample content: Including Instagram Photos Increased Email Engagement 7x 10 Essentials Elements for Efficient Content Production 4. Chief Marketing Technologist Blog: http://chiefmartec.com/blog Written and edited by Scott Brinker, this blog was started in 2008 back before MarTech was a common term. Check out the breadth of coverage in the blog's archives and you'll see how much the space has grown, and how Brinkner has consistently been at the forefront of discussions involving data software and marketing/sales. Sample content: The 5 digital dynamics that are transforming marketing Marketing isn’t alone — HR software landscape with 547 products 5. Inspire MarTech: http://inspiremartech.com This is the blog of digital evangelist Mayur Gupta, who was one of the first high-profile marketing technologists at major brand Kimberly Clark. Aside from being at the forefront of discussions related to marketing technology for the past decade or so, he's also passionate about the usage of Agile methods within marketing organizations. Sample content: Consumer – The Missing Seat in the C-Suite Data Convergence – The Marketing Glue For The Omni-Channel Reality 6. The Hub: The Marketing Technology Resource: http://www.thehubcomms.com/ While the other blogs have categories for everything MarTech-related, The Hub limits its "channels" to six: customer experience, marketing cloud, social media, analytics, mobile, and content marketing. But that's not to say they cover less. At least twice a month, they release podcasts as well. They also have a long-running feature called "Five Minutes With..." where they interview other marketing thought leaders. They do a good job of profiling companies in their space as well. Sample content: Five Minutes With: Julie Ginches, CMO at Kahuna Celebrity-Generated Content is Priceless 7. MarTech Advisor: www.martechadvisor.comThe blog touts itself as the world's leading source for marketing technology news, research, product comparisons, and expert views. And they don't kid around. This is the go-to source for news on technology and tools for sales and marketing professionals. Their blog post categories are exhaustive and cover everything from AdTech to social media, content marketing, event marketing, and email marketing. Sample content: Ensure These Measures to Avoid Failure of Your Content Marketing Plan Why Remarketing is Highly Effective A final tip: Subscribe to the email newsletters of the blogs you like so you get updates directly to your inbox. And if you're concerned about inbox bloat, use Unroll.me to compile all your marketing-related newsletters into one. Turn Your Marketing Team Agile If you want in-depth strategies for making your marketing team Agile, download the free eBook: 7 Steps to Developing an Agile Marketing Team.

Productivity 3 min read

10 Ways to Beat Deadline Stress (Infographic)

However much deadline stress affects you, it's good to know that there are ways to deal with it. Below is an infographic listing 10 ways to make deadlines less stressful.

Collaboration 3 min read

How Culture & Collaboration Help Boost Employee Engagement (Infographic)

Because disengaged employees are taking away from your bottom line, it makes sense to look at how your company could turn this situation around.

Leadership 5 min read

How to Set Up a Freelance Agency

When you have more clients than you can possibly handle within a 40-hour workweek, it may be time to delegate work to freelancers like yourself, and turn what was once a humble solopreneur business into a full-fledged freelance agency, managed by you. But only if it makes sense.

Productivity 3 min read

What are Super Cognitive Foods? And Other Reads To Help You Work Better (Work Management Roundup)

Today is Friday the 13th, the subject of many an old school superstition and many a horror movie. If you're stuck in the office today feeling terribly unproductive and a tad superstitious as to why, then we're here with the Work Management roundup to turn your horrible day into a day for productivity education. Read on for more inspiration! The Superfoods That Are Actually Superfoods (Medium): Are there foods that can really help you focus on your work right now? Yes! Dave Asprey lays out some “super cognitive foods,” which include butter, coffee, vanilla, and chocolate and explains how non-inflammatory foods help you. (This is not an excuse to stock up on peanut butter M&Ms!) Things You Can Do to Grow More Brain Cells (Lifehacker): On the subject of brain enhancement: a recent TED video by neuroscientist Sandrine Thuret explains how our brains can grow new cells through activities such as learning and running. Spend More Time Managing Your Time (Study Hacks): Cal Newton schools us on the need for deep thinking about your commitments. You need to block off some time in order to plan out how you will tackle your tasks this week. 10 Free (and Nearly Free) Ways to Spur Business Growth (Social Media Today): Andre Bourque lists 10 strategies that startups need to use to grow quickly and corresponding tools, most of them free. The Buddhist Priest Who Became a Billionaire Snubbing Investors (Bloomberg): This 83-year-old billionaire Buddhist priest Kazuo Inamori built up Japanese electronics giant Kyocera, and his attitude toward investors is decidedly "un-Western". His advice: Forget investors. Instead, spend time making staff happy. In his own words: "If you want eggs, take care of the hen." What Not to Do at a Business Lunch (Fast Company YouTube): And before you go out to eat, watch this humorous take on the business lunch and how to avoid spiraling into cringeworthy terrain.. More Work Management Reads Think About This: Doing Good Tech Versus Doing Good with Tech by Bryan Johnson (Medium) The Power of Routines in Sustaining Creativity (Fast Company) The Purpose-Driven Workforce Is 42 Million Strong (Fast Company) 8 Genius Ways To Make Your Small Business More Money This Holiday Shopping Season (When I Work) Go Try This: If You Want to Become a Leader, Start Acting Like One (Inc) The Positive Impact of Creating Limits (The Next Web) 62 Tips From Y Combinator’s Startup Instruction Manual (TechCrunch) The Complete Guide To Skyrocketing Your Customer Service Skills (When I Work) Browse Marketing Speak on Flipboard If you use Flipboard on your mobile device, then you might enjoy our links to all things digital marketing via our Marketing Speak magazine. View my Flipboard Magazine.

News 3 min read

Save Time with Duplicate Tasks & Subtasks

Ever wanted to duplicate a single task and its accompanying subtasks instead of the entire folder? If you create recurring tasks for clients, work on series of similar tasks, or need to develop a project template from a single task, the new Duplicate task feature will save you hours on manual routine.

Marketing 3 min read

Is Agile Viable for Marketing Teams?

When the Agile software development methodology came into prominence in the early 2000s with its own Agile Manifesto, it changed how software companies managed their work mindsets and production processes. To put it mildly, it electrified the industry and started spawning unbelievable success stories. Eventually other industries realized Agile could be adapted to their own workflows. Marketing teams especially found it essential due to these Agile methodology advantages: 1. Customers' needs and tastes constantly change. Success means delivering products that customers need and want to pay for. But if customer needs are always in flux, marketing teams need a way to adapt quickly otherwise they doom their campaigns to failure or irrelevance. 2. Company priorities are perennially shifting. With marketing teams bombarded by requests for collaterals, or social media viral hits, or email marketing tactics, there is a real need to stay flexible enough to serve EVERYONE in the organization while still maintaining its own metrics for success. 3. Marketing technologies are always new. Shifting to new technologies often means changing the way work is processed. While it's never a good thing to try every shiny new gizmo that comes along, without testing new technologies marketers might miss out on the tech that truly makes their work more efficient. Agile marketing answers all the above needs, providing marketing with the framework to be customer-centric and also entirely flexible enough to handle sudden changes in strategy, direction, or even tools. How does Agile do this? • By promoting adaptive planning • By working in iterations • By promoting communication and transparency• By allowing rapid response to change These four benefits are tackled in more detail in the Slideshare below: 4 Reasons Why Marketing Needs to be Agile. Follow us on Slideshare! If you want truly in-depth strategies for making your marketing team Agile, download the free eBook, 7 Steps to Developing an Agile Marketing Team.

Productivity 5 min read

Why Your Messaging App is Killing Your Productivity

Whether you're using Slack, HipChat, Skype, Google Hangouts, or IRC, it’s not enough. It's time to admit that using only your chat/instant messaging app to manage projects is killing your productivity.

Leadership 3 min read

Why High Achievers Forget "Someday" and Hustle Today (Work Management Roundup)

It's another Friday of yet another week, and this week, I've decided it's time to get "weird." You may be thinking, "But why?" Well, we discovered this week that being weird is actually a plus for you — especially if it means you're forging a path others have not yet trod. And especially if it means you're creating a life you want to live. Welcome to [inlinetweet prefix="To read:" tweeter="" suffix="via @Wrike"]this week's weird, yet inspirational, edition of the Work Management Roundup[/inlinetweet]! Wake Up and Get Off the "Someday Island" (Entrepreneur): Matt Mayberry talks about how achievers aren't postponing doing the things they love "someday," they're creating their own circumstances in life right now. So if you're not happy with your work, career, or life in general, change it! 7 Things I Did To Reboot My Life (WilWheaton.net): If you need inspiration on changing your life, take a cue from actor/celebrity Wil Wheaton whose essay details both the thoughts and the process behind his personal pivot. Why Being Weird is Your Best Creative Trait (Medium): Ever have moments at work where you're suddenly sharing TMI? That may be a good thing. Because that impulse to share irrelevant information is the same impulse that won't filter out the creative breakthrough ideas. Excellent read on why weirdness is being cultivated and how to embrace your inner weirdo. How the Internet Of Things is Changing Work (Fast Company): Sure, the Internet of Things will connect millions of gadgets around the home and the office. But how will this impact actual human beings doing human jobs? 3 Tips for Future-proofing Your Digital Career (BusinessesGrow): Alongside IoT, self-driving cars, and automation in many work systems, how do you ensure you won't lose your job to a robot in the near future? By emphasizing the human element. Pump Up the Jams and Feel Powerful (Kellogg Insight): Here's something that athletes have known for a long time: the right "high-power" playlist can help you construe information better and help you take initiative. In short, the right background music empowers you to be productive. And yes, this is backed by research. More Work Management Reads Think About This: Mayo Clinic Launches Ambitious Study on How Being Indoors All The Time Affects Us (Fast Company) 6 Ways Work Will Change in 2016 (Fast Company) Warning: Cars’ Voice-Activated Systems Distract Drivers, Study Finds (NY Times) Better Brainstorming in the Workplace (Gorilla Office Supplies) Go Try This: Be Different: Three Unique Ideas For B2B Brands Trying To Stand Out (Inbound.org) The Internet’s Laziest People Share Their Cleverest Life Hacks (BGR) How to Promote Your Flipboard Magazine: Advice from the Pros (Medium) Improve Communication In The Workplace (Employee Scheduling Pro) How to Boost Morale in the Breakroom [Infographic] (Burris Inc) Browse The Work Management Roundup on Flipboard If you use Flipboard on your mobile device, then you can choose to read these links via The Work Management Roundup magazine. View my Flipboard Magazine.

Collaboration 5 min read

Remote Collaboration: 5 Sentences to Ruin a Remote Worker's Day

Setting aside the joys of working from home and not having to commute, workers collaborating remotely have to deal with a lot of extra pain. The added pressure it places on their shoulders comes from the difficulty of creating immediate, visible value from afar. They struggle to be more "present" to their colleagues via the communication channels available to them — sometimes unsuccessfully. It's important to realize the extra pressure remote workers feel when you converse with them, and why remote work is important in the first place. Sometimes, jokes about "laziness" or how many hours they "actually" work can hit a nerve, and careless statements regarding work may cause a lot more harm than you think. For optimal remote collaboration, here are five specific sentences to stay away from: 1. "I tried to contact you, but I couldn't wait for you to get back to me." Possibly the biggest fear of your remote colleague is missing out on urgent tasks and direction-changing meetings that impact the work already being done. Saying something like the above hits home for an insecure remote worker already trying to compensate for not seeing people face-to-face. Especially if he is in a different time zone! It's tantamount to saying, "I Skyped you and emailed you (at midnight in your time zone) but since you never got back to me (because you were sleeping), I had to go ahead without you." This might be inevitable in a fast-paced business, but don't make a habit of leaving your remote workers out — especially on tasks they might want to be involved with. 2. "Oh sorry, that decision was already made last week." While there may be decisions made quickly at the home office, make sure you keep everyone in the loop. If you've been working on a project together and the project direction changes drastically, be kind enough to inform all stakeholders and collaborators properly so they're not left high and dry wondering what happened. Include them in decisions and give them enough lead time to give their feedback on important issues. 3. "Stop asking me questions, read the project brief." Remote workers don't always have all the context and will probably ask more questions than someone who sits one desk away from you. If their questions disturb your workflow, don't shut down communication with harsh words. Gently push back by saying you will get back to them when you're free. By saying something like "Stop asking me questions!" you're effectively telling your teammate you don't want to help and that their requests for information are annoyances. If your work culture is based on bureaucracy and selfish fiefdoms of knowledge, then you have more problems to solve. But if your culture is one of sharing and company-wide collaboration, you've just created a roadblock that might prevent your team from asking for help in the future. Don't burn those bridges. 4. "Let's cancel this morning's meeting since X and Y aren't here." While it might be morning where you are, it could be 10PM in your remote colleague's time zone. Which means she had to wait up for this scheduled call, or perhaps even cancelled a night on the town. Canceling last minute presupposes that your time is more important than your remote colleague's time, hence you can do things on a whim and she has to accept it. At the very least, cancel meetings early — minimum 24 hours notice is ideal — so that remote workers can plan in advance. For pointers, here's a great article about the polite way to cancel an appointment. 5. "Aw man, you had to be there to see it!" Remote workers don't just feel like they sometimes miss crucial information and context to do their work, they also often feel like they're missing out on the camaraderie in the office. By saying this, you're effectively isolating them from the team even more. Instead, why not try capturing and sharing a video of that awesome dance move that the CEO did during Friday cocktails? Or set up some sort of video wall/always-on video conference (a la Shutterstock) so remote workers can drop in and join the fun. Remote Workers Have Feelings Too In the end, collaborating with remote colleagues is a matter of being sensitive to the needs of all concerned. People need timely information, and they need to be made to feel part of the team. And it's your job as project manager to ensure communication goes smoothly and team morale is high. Read Next:• 5 Tips for Remote Collaboration with Wrike• 4 Common Problems with Virtual Meetings that You Can Fix

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Lionel Valdellon