6 Reasons Your Marketing Plan Isn't Working (+ New Welcome to DroneCo Comic)
Marketing teams have to be flexible in order to constantly adjust to new priorities, goals, tools, and audiences. But sometimes they get a little too used to the chaos, and start believing that creative work naturally feels out of control. Project management doesn't need to mean restrictive processes, frustrating red tape, or creative death for your marketing team. In fact, project management principles can help establish a reliable, efficient system so everyone can actually focus on being creative. Use these simple project management tips to get better payoff for your marketing team's hard work — and suffer fewer headaches along the way! Share the fun! Click the strip to Tweet it. 1. Standardize & simplify processes. Take a good hard look at your marketing process and developing a marketing plan. Does every single step add value? If not, cut it and focus on what does. Then make sure everyone in the marketing department can follow a clear-cut process and use standard formats and outlines as templates to save time and cut common errors. (See also this video on marketing workflows.) 2. Track your time. Aside from making billable and unbillable hours easier to track, knowing exactly how long typical tasks take makes it much easier to plan future projects and set accurate deadlines. 3. Balance your team’s workload. You shouldn’t have a few key team members drowning in deadlines while others are twiddling their thumbs. Keep track of everyone’s assignments and redistribute tasks as necessary to avoid bottlenecks and stalled progress. 4. Make information & resources easily accessible. Put conversations, resources, and work updates in a central location where they’re easy to find. Everyone can stay in the loop since discussions, decisions, and files are all kept where the entire team can find them. 5. Stay organized. Project managers have mastered the art of juggling several projects at once, making sure resources are used wisely, deadlines are being met, and every project is running smoothly. Stop trying to manage all your work via email and spreadsheets. (There's a better way!) Take advantage of popular project management tools, like the Gantt chart, to manage all your campaigns in one place. 6. Record lessons learned. Every project holds takeaways and lessons you can apply to future campaigns. Record and share them with your team to up your game with every new project. Ready to Start Using a Better Marketing Management Strategy? See how Wrike can help you coordinate team efforts, adjust to changing priorities, and keep every campaign organized and on track. Follow the DroneCo Comic for More Marketing Laughs Browse previous episodes of Welcome to DroneCo in the comic archive, then subscribe to the strip to get each new episode. Click here to follow DroneCo on Twitter and keep up with the fun all week long! Share this comic on your own site with this embed code:
What Are The Most Outrageous Startup Perks?
Catered meals, in-office massages, free afternoon yoga classes... Cushy employee perks are a famous part of startup culture, especially in the tech industry of Silicon Valley. If you're a founder looking to hire your first employees (or you're just curious about how other organizations create and sustain a unique company culture) check out the latest chatter on the craziest startup perks, which are employee favorites, and whether they actually matter when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent. (You might be surprised at the answers!) Silicon Valley's Craziest Startup Perks $500 weekly drawings, laser tag, paid sabbaticals, and more killer employee perks 10 tons of snow? Office slip 'n slides? Why startups prioritize fun at the office From arcade rooms to ball pits: how successful startups mix work and play The most unique perks (including a custom painting of yourself as a dragon slayer) Employees at these famous tech companies get $2,000/year to take their paid vacations. dog-friendly offices, access to Lego play sets and trampoline parks, and so much more On-site car washes, haircuts, laundry, massages, live concerts, and other perks that help employees manage life outside of work Which Corporate Perks Foster Company Culture & Attract Talent Which perks are actually most popular with employees? Which perks are considered standard, which are great, and which are over-the-top amazing? Morning surfing lessons, daily dog walkers, and other unique startup perks that attract the right talent How smaller companies are turning to personalized perks to compete with tech giants How to bring Silicon Valley's perks to your own office Are Employee Perks Really Worth the Hype? How companies benefit from offering their employees perks What's the actual monetary value of all those perks to employees (and employers)? The downside to providing perks (yes, there is a downside... but for whom?) The million dollar question: do perks actually work? Follow the DroneCo Comic for More Startup Fun Browse previous episodes of Welcome to DroneCo in the comic archive, then subscribe to the strip to get each new episode. Click here to follow DroneCo on Twitter to keep up with the startup craziness all week long! Share this comic on your own site with this embed code: Webcomic brought to you by Wrike
The Marketer's Secret Weapon: How to Get Buy-In for Your New Idea (A DroneCo Comic)
The ability to garner support and guide both execs and your project team through change is a vital part of being a good leader and project manager — not to mention it’ll make your life easier when you’re no longer fighting flawed processes, tools, and mindsets to get things done. But it’s a tricky skill to master. How do you get the necessary people to agree to a new idea and commit in a way that will result in meaningful action? Click to Tweet: Share the fun! Click the strip to Tweet it. 5 Tips to Get Buy-In for Your Idea: 1. Paint the Big Picture Emphasize the immediacy of the problem you’re currently facing, explain exactly what it’s costing your organization, and outline the specific benefit of your proposed solution. Change requires work and resources, so give people a compelling reason to make the effort. 2. Make It Personal Is there a certain executive that you know is particularly concerned about saving money, or getting things done faster? Who's always using the latest gadget or app to improve their daily lives? If your solution or idea relates to one of these areas, take it to that person. Use those particular interests to capture their full attention and increase the likelihood they’ll not only support you, they'll be just as invested in your proposal as you are. 3. Use Emotions to Your Advantage... We may like to think we make business decisions based on solid reasoning and rational justification, but emotion plays a huge role in whether we embrace or resist a proposed change. So consider the emotional drivers you can use to bolster your proposal. What current frustrations can you emphasize? What anxieties can you soothe? 4. ...But Cite Hard Evidence and Data When You Can Point to recent successes your company has had in overcoming obstacles or adapting to change, and use them to both recall the positive feelings associated with that success and as evidence your organization can adapt successfully. Alternatively, you can find examples of companies or teams that made the same or a similar move with good results, and use their stories both as social proof and to provide a vision of where your company could be. 5. Follow up Once you've actually gotten approval for your idea, don't go radio silent on the topic. Maintain interest and support by checking in with executives and giving them updates on your progress, whether it’s reporting back on implementation options, adoption progress, or the positive results of your change. Plus, by showing how you’re actually delivering on your vision, you’re building trust with executives for the next time you need their support. Follow the DroneCo Comic for More Startup Shenanigans! Check out the comic archive, and then subscribe to the strip to keep up with every new episode. And don't forget to follow DroneCo on Twitter for a daily dose of fun! Share our webcomic on your own site using this embed code:
Lessons in Office Politics from Game of Thrones
Office politics are a fact of life — it’s human nature and basic sociology to have power dynamics within a group. Despite the negative association, however, office politics don’t have to be cutthroat! Making and using workplace connections to get things done, secure the resources your team needs, and gain visibility for your contributions isn't a bad thing, and oftentimes, it's just plain necessary for advancing your career. Below, our 13 tips for winning at office politics without turning into this guy: Dos and Don'ts of Winning Office Politics 1. Don't: Pretend office politics don't exist or affect you. Rather not get involved in office politics at all? You're certainly not alone. But burying your head in the sand (or snow) only puts you at the mercy of people who are willing to use office politics to further their ends. Remember that engaging in office politics doesn't necessarily mean selling your soul: the ability to see what motivates others and positively influence them are also key traits of a good leader, and skills you should be actively trying to develop. 2. Do: Forget the official org chart — how do things really work? Take the org chart and redo it according to how you see the company actually working. Who has influence and well-respected opinions? Who mentors or supports whom? Who’s doing valuable work that’s not getting proper recognition? Once you understand the behind-the-scenes, you can start making connections that will yield positive results. 3. Do: Make note of social networks. Who eats lunch together? Who asks whom for help? How do different departments socialize? Make your own relationships with a wide variety of people across multiple departments, especially those you wouldn't ordinarily interact with on a daily basis. Just choose to befriend people you genuinely like and respect — don’t be fake or rely on empty flattery. Remember, it’s not just the power players that have valuable support to give; the goodwill and respect of average employees goes a long way, especially when it's time for promotions or assigning team leaders. 4. Don't: Spread gossip or rumors. It’ll come back to bite you. Nobody's perfect, and sooner or later you'll make a mistake you'd rather not have spread through the company by vindictive colleagues who are happy to watch you flounder. 5. Do: Use your network for the greater good. Use your connections to gain visibility for your team’s overlooked achievements, attract opportunities to excel, address widespread problems that have gone unnoticed, and contribute to improving the company overall. 6. Don't: Fail to think ahead. Odds are, you've been tempted to fire off an angry email reply or make a flippant remark at some point in your dealings with others. Before you act on impulse, watch the situation play out in your head all the way through to the end. Does it turn out the way you’d like? Taking a beat and considering the consequences will help you check any impulse reactions that could backfire big time. 7. Do: Contribute to overarching objectives, instead of just focusing on personal goals. Never say, “That’s not in my job description,” or, "This isn't my responsibility." Keep the organization’s interests top of mind, instead of putting your own self-interest above that of your team or the company as a whole. If the business is struggling, you're not going to succeed either. Besides, if someone asks for your input, it’s for a reason — they think you have something valuable to contribute, or it’s crunch time and they need all the help they can get. 8. Do: Pay attention to those with informal power. Get to know those people you see as influencers: they may not be a C-level executive, but when they speak, people listen. Ask for their advice and opinions, observe their habits and how they interact with others, and learn everything you can from them. 9. Don't: Get sucked into other people’s problems and arguments. Office politics can quickly devolve into the kind of drama and backstabbing you haven't seen since high school. Learn how to gracefully bow out of toxic situations, pick battles that really matter, and recognize what you can control — and what you can't. 10. Do: Learn to make allies. When you're at odds with a colleague, look past “Me vs. You” to “How can we make this a win-win?” Examine the situation from the other person's perspective and try to see what their motivation and goals are — or simply sit down with them to discuss how you can work together. Take the opportunity to turn a possible adversary into an ally. 11. Don't: Make disagreements personal. You’re going to disagree or butt heads with someone somewhere along the line — it’s inevitable. Just keep it professional, deal with them directly and openly, and focus on the objective facts instead of devolving into personal attacks or insults. Remember, your goal is to create allies, not enemies. And even if your work results are undeniable, you’ll have a hard time getting promoted if it's well known that you're difficult to work with. 12. Do: Stay focused on the end goal, especially in the midst of conflict. By redirecting everyone’s focus to the organization’s best interests and goals, you’ll develop a reputation as someone who can transcend petty interpersonal squabbles and just get sh*t done. 13. Don't: Be an office zombie. People are people! Show warmth and personality. Look for opportunities to help others and show gratitude to those who help you. Stay late to help a colleague, remember to thank someone who shared a helpful tip, get two coffees during your morning stop and offer the extra to someone who could use a pick-me-up. They'll remember, and you can never have too many people speaking well of you. Don't be a Leader from Hell! Watch our video to learn from classic management mistakes and keep your team happy and productive. Sources: Mindtools.com, Lifehack.org, Forbes.com, Monster.com, Wisebread.com Game of Thrones images, titles, and associated names are the sole property of HBO. This article may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit for comment and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#107.
A Winning Video Marketing Strategy (A DroneCo Comic)
Welcome back to DroneCo, Wrike's weekly comic strip! We're following the madcap marketing department at a hot new drone delivery startup in Silicon Valley. Last week, Marketing Director Sujay awoke from his personal productivity paradise to discover an email catastrophe. In this week’s episode, the gang preps for an impromptu video shoot. But CEO Dot has other plans for their marketing strategy types.... Click to Tweet: Want to share the fun? Click the strip to Tweet it! Embed this webcomic on your own site using this embed code:
4 Lessons Hockey Has Taught Me About Project Management
Here are some of the key lessons hockey has taught me about project management: 1. Hire Flexible Players In hockey you have six players on the ice and three main positions: Forward, Defense, and Goalie. The goalie is the only one that should truly be a “specialist,” which means the other five players need to have some flexibility. If roles are too defined, teammates won't be as prepared to help out in a pinch. Even defense should be able to shoot the puck! In the same way, I'm not going to wait for someone in QA to test a feature when I can do it myself. The aim for everyone on the project team is to be flexible enough to assist in scoring goals. If someone's background is in business project management, but they can also turn their hand to IT or creative project management, it will serve your organization amazingly in the long run. It's all for the team. Also, keep an eye on recruiting. Trading players in hockey translates to talent acquisition in business. Veterans are vital for providing project stability, but as the game speeds up and new skills are needed, it’s important to make sure you have the right mix of players. (And this has nothing to do with age!) 2. Seek Guidance from Coaches The bench holds your most important assets: coaches and assistants. No single person is the keeper of all playbook knowledge. In project management, you need to seek the wisdom of mentors, supervisors, other PMs, or even the library of resources you keep on your hard drive or behind your desk. Situational guidance is a wonderful tool and keeps your team on the winning side. Above the bench, often peering from a skybox in the arena, are the stakeholders. Their roles and responsibilities can vary greatly from team to team, but they are always present and their input guides the team. Successfully hitting your milestones will feed their appetite for updates and also provides them with visible progress. Accountability is the name of the game! 3. Take 82 Steps to Victory When a team finally makes it through the 82-game season schedule, it's a cause for celebration. Each of those games brought the team closer to the championship trophy. In project management, those victorious games translate to accomplished tasks -- each one leading to a completed project. And success! With so many games, ideally all of your players have had a chance to shine. If you use the Agile methodology, your daily stand-up meetings come to mind. If you don't use Agile, think of the team meetings you (hopefully) already have scheduled. This is a chance for all players to show off their contribution to the overall project. And individual recognition is key, as it keeps things personal and makes sure you acknowledge your MVP. 4. Plan for the Finals in Stages The road to the Stanley Cup is broken into three stages: the regular season, the playoffs, and the finals. Like any complete hockey season, your project has a beginning, middle, and end. A three-stage approach makes progress observable, with no extra work needed to understand where you stand as you advance to the championship. Hockey coaches strategize for the games by reviewing past experiences. Project teams plan for each stage by breaking down the project into those 82 smaller tasks and distributing the load to all team members. I personally like to give my projects three milestones, with the third being the big game, the final deadline. All tasks are then built out and linked to these milestones appropriately, via dependencies. Executives can view a report in terms of completed, active, and overdue milestones (which hopefully never happen). So here's hoping I inspired you to watch some hockey today. Meanwhile, go crush all your tasks on the road to victory!
The Marketing Manager's Nightmare (A DroneCo Comic)
As the latest hot tech startup in the valley, things are always moving fast at DroneCo. Marketing Director Sujay and his team make a noble effort to keep up with their lovable-yet-eccentric CEO's zany ideas and half-baked instructions, but with all the late nights and hectic schedules, sometimes the inevitable happens... Click to Tweet: "The Marketing Manager's Nightmare — check out this funny comic from @Wrike!" Want to spread the fun with your friends on what does a marketing project manager do? Click the comic strip above to share it on Twitter! Don't Miss Out on Any of the Marketing Madness at DroneCo! Catch up on all the marketing department antics in the comic strip archive, or subscribe to the comic to catch every episode!
Welcome to DroneCo — Wrike's New Weekly Comic
It’s like Big Brother but with a lot more SCRUM Welcome to DroneCo, the Valley’s latest startup darling. DroneCo is creating quite a buzz with intelligent remote delivery drones. “We make delivery drones,” says founder Miles “Dot” Commadore. “But that’s not all—we’re engaging the future with synergistic-social convergence or, as I like to call it, SynSocCon." Like any tech company experiencing massive growth against intense competition, DroneCo has more than its fair share of drama and dysfunction. Lucky for you, Dot has agreed to let us take a weekly peek behind the scenes. Starting with the Marketing department, we’ll bring you candid, uncensored moments from the conference rooms, cubicles, and brightly-colored, never-used “Creativity Pods.” Meet the Marketing Department Don't miss out on any DroneCo antics! There are several ways to stay up to date on DroneCo comics as they're released: Subscribe to the comic to catch every episode. And check back on Monday, April 6 to check out the first strip! Follow DroneCo on Twitter Follow our DroneCo Pinterest board We look forward to having you join us on this journey. Check in each week to see how DroneCo manages its way through the ups and downs of startup life!
What Type of Communicator are You?
Observer: calming down the storms If you prefer not to rock the boat, unless something really riles you, then perhaps you're a passive communicator. Test yourself and see. Do you: Feel that your feelings and opinions are overlooked by your colleagues? Avoid catching anyone's eye when in a meeting? Try not to ruffle anyone's feelings when you talk or write to them? Think you have little control over what happens in your workplace and your team? If you answered yes to a couple of those, then perhaps this is your preferred communication style. The disadvantage is that some people think passive communicators don't contribute much to teams and therefore may not show them the respect they are due. But they're wrong. This communication style has its uses. Passive communicators are great for calming down tense situations. If there's a conflict brewing at a team meeting, the passive communicator will be able to help people see each other's viewpoints. Achiever: reaching the finish line first If you're focused on achieving your goals and sometimes don't notice other people's viewpoints, you may be an aggressive communicator. Try this assessment and see. Do you: Have trouble focusing on the points other people are making in meetings? Find it difficult to deal with frustration? Make impulsive decisions that you just KNOW are right? If some of these seem to apply to you, then perhaps this is your usual communication style. One disadvantage of this communication style is that team members may feel alienated and ignored by aggressive communicators. But this communication style has its place in project teams. Sometimes teams need someone who can cut to the chase, so they can move on, and this is where aggressive communicators shine. The strength of an aggressive communication style is the willingness and ability to make quick decisions, especially if you have expert knowledge of the area under discussion. Explosive: ice-cold on the surface, but burning fire from the inside Passive-aggressive communicators are a mixture of the two communication styles described above. Test yourself and see whether this could apply to you. Do you: Shy away from confronting issues openly, even though you might not always agree with the direction things are going? Feel frustrated and sometimes ignored? Passive-aggressive communicators share both the strengths and weaknesses of passive and aggressive communicators. Connector: keeping things smooth If you're good at saying what you need and supporting your colleagues, you could be an assertive communicator. Find out with this self-test. Do you: Keep control of your feelings in meetings whether you agree or disagree with the topic under discussion? Look people in the eye when you talk to them and state your opinions clearly without undermining or labeling colleagues? Take a flexible approach to problems and listen to the opinions of others before making up your mind? Make sure no one takes advantage of you? If you answered yes to a few of these, then you might be an assertive communicator. Even assertive communicators may stumble occasionally when trying to make their point, but generally this type of communicator helps every project go smoothly. Assertive communicators are decisive, positive and respected by their colleagues. Tips on Being an Assertive Communicator It's evident that of the four styles, being an assertive communicator is most likely to get the result you want. So how can you ensure that you and the members of your team communicate effectively and assertively? Here are some tips: Stay focused on the topic under discussion Keep emotions out of it Ask for the opinions of others -- you need to hear and acknowledge them, even if you don't accept them Avoid getting defensive Be prepared to accept criticism and feedback in a constructive manner Diffuse tension with humor if it's appropriate What would you add? Case Study: Communication Styles How would these communication styles play out in a real-life team situation? Let's say you call the team together, whether face-to-face or online, to organize a project for winning a piece of business. You invite everyone to put ideas on the table, and you plan to make a decision at the meeting. Mr. Quiet, a passive communicator, says: “No one ever listens to me anyway, so I'll go along with whatever you decide.” Ms. Variable, a passive-aggressive communicator, sits next to Mr. Quiet, making snarky remarks under her breath. Mr. Impulsive, an aggressive communicator, picks the option he likes and tries to make others vote for it. He says: "You're all silly if you don't see that this will work." What do you think an assertive communicator would say?
10 Encouraging Productivity Proverbs for Your Office Wall (Part 2)
If you read our first batch of productivity proverbs, you may remember that a picture is worth 1,000 words. So, without further delay, here are 5 more proverbs to get your productivity juices flowing on those days when all you want to do is crawl back into bed. 6. “An hour in the morning is worth two in the evening.” Wrike recently conducted a survey to determine work how different lifestyle habits play a role in workplace productivity. We found that the proverb exists for a reason; only 10.2% of early birds feel overworked versus 26.7% of night owls. It might be difficult to wake up in the morning, but at the end of the day you'll appreciate the stress-free evening. 7. “Any time means no time.” We all work with or know someone who constantly says, "I'll do it tomorrow." Or maybe their cousin, the person who flippantly thinks, "It doesn't matter if I procrastinate now, I can get it done any time." Don't take a lesson from them. According to Wrike's productivity survey, more than 50% of employees feel that deadlines mobilize their best skills. If your boss claims that a project has no deadline, set one for yourself and stick to it. Working without deadlines increases chances you will never start the project at all, so do yourself a favor and make "any time" today. 8. “Think of many things, do one.” Think you are good at multi-tasking? Research shows that only 2% of people are good at juggling tasks without letting the balls drop. The rest of us may think we're keeping everything in the air, but more research suggests that we are actually knocking down our IQ by 10 points when we try to multitask, and our productivity is decreasing by as much as 40%. It's not your fault; the brains of "supertaskers" simply process information differently. So if you have a lot of ideas, write them all down (after all, a dull pencil is greater than the sharpest memory!) and then focus on one task at a time for the best results. 9. “Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand.” This proverb goes one step farther than the classic, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime," proverb. It is better to teach someone the answer rather than giving it away, but even more than that, you must involve them in the teaching. We retain 50-90% of what we learn by participatory teaching methods, compared to just 5% when listening. No more lectures! 10. “Better an ounce of happiness than a pound of gold.” Do you remember the old Mastercard commercials? The products bought in the commercial were expensive, but they happiness received was priceless. And according to Wrike's productivity survey, over 56% of surveyed participants feel motivated by a good mood, while the possibility of reward encourages efficiency in just 42.1% of those same employees. So don't overvalue money while undervaluing happiness; happiness is enough of a reward to boost your productivity. Did you like these amusing productivity lessons? Share them with your friends! We hope our 10 pieces of wisdom will help rejuvenate you at work. Save them in your phone, print them out as office decor, and read them over again when you're in a slump. And don't forget to spread the wealth to your friends and colleagues - we all have off-days.
10 Encouraging Productivity Proverbs for Your Office Wall (Part 1)
"A proverb a day keeps distractions at bay" ... Okay, you caught us. That's not a real proverb. We just made it up, but it's true nonetheless. We collected 10 well-known proverbs about productivity and backed up their claims with insider business tips and facts to encourage you on those difficult work days. Today, we'll give your our first five insights. Post them on the wall by your desk for inspiration, or share them with your friends and colleagues when they feel like throwing in the towel. 1. "It is possible to move mountains by carrying small stones." Have you ever looked at a project and felt completely overwhelmed without a clue for how to start? If you have read The Progress Principle by Theresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, then you know about the power of "small wins." They say that small wins ignite our motivation to work and make further progress possible. By moving one stone at a time, eventually we will have moved so many that the entire project is complete. For the best productivity, one study says you should work in small chunks of time as opposed to straight through an 8-hour day. Split your progress into 90-minute work sessions followed by 15-minute breaks to increase your focus by 16%. 2. "A picture is worth a thousand words." Whether you consider yourself a visual learner or an auditory learner, that fact is that we process visual information faster than written information. Visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text. This is why marketers love infographics, why Instagram and Snapchat are so successful, and why you hire a photographer instead of a journalist for your wedding. Pictures just work. 3. "A dull pencil is greater than the sharpest memory." Do you have the memory of an elephant or of a goldfish? A study by the Dominican University of California shows that people who write down their goals (and share them with a friend) are 33% more likely to accomplish their goals than those who only rely on thought formulation to push progress. Next time you have a bright idea, grab a napkin and the closest writing utensil - be that a dull pencil or your child's favorite green marker - and write it down to keep you more accountable. Or better yet, jot down your idea in Wrike for safe keeping! If you're constantly jotting ideas down with nowhere to put them, consider researching how to set up an office at home, and ensure you've got plenty of storage around you to keep things organised. 4. "No living man all things can." If you find yourself mulling over work 25 hours a day, 8 days a week, it's time to re-prioritize your work life. The Harvard Business Review shared this fun fact: 41% of a knowledge worker's daily tasks could be handled more competently if they were delegated. Easier said than done, we know, but the benefits are worth it. Harvard Business Review said that knowledge workers who redistributed their tasks saved themselves about 6 hours of work and 2 hours of meetings per week. One man can't do everything, so learn to rely on others. 5. "A stitch in time saves nine." If you can fix it with one stitch now, you'll save yourself nine stitches in the future. The GTD method recommends that if the task will take less than two minutes then tackle it without delay. If you comply to this method, you won't have to waste future efforts on the small task AND any mistakes that have resulted from not fixing the issue early on. You'll thank yourself later. Feeling inspired? Share these with friends and colleagues, print them out for the office, and make everyone's productivity shine. And don't forget, this is only the beginning. If you liked these, we bet you'll love the next five proverbs, too. Stay tuned to re-examine more tips that can give you the extra boost you need.
Print These Valentine's Day Cards for Your Favorite Coworkers
Ready for Valentines? Here's a way to show appreciation for your team. Just print one (or all!) of these PDFs on regular 8.5” x 11” copy paper, fold or cut them out, and give them to your work buddies and office crushes this February 14th. ;)
How to Communicate Like Super Bowl Champions
"Concentrate on what will produce results rather than on the results; the process rather than the prize."— Bill Walsh, three time Super Bowl-winning head coach It's Super Bowl season! Time to get out the chips, grab the remote, plop on the couch, and watch some excellent... team communication? Yes, you heard me right. It takes two great teams to make it to the Super Bowl but it takes only one team with excellent communication to win that Lombardi Trophy. Follow these steps to get your team communicating like Super Bowl champions: 1. Understand the Objective In football, the head coach runs communication on the field. He's responsible for explaining the objectives, standards, and expectations of the game. He needs to encourage and inspire as well as discipline and instruct. It's up to the head coach to organize and create a vision for his team to execute. Just as in football, a successful project team needs a leader who can provide a vision and set expectations for the project. As important as it is for the team leader to clearly communicate objectives and expectations, it's just as important for the team to effectively listen. Team players also need to communicate their own feelings and concerns to their team leader so everyone is on the same page. 2. Set a Strategy Developing a strategy is the first step to achieving the team's objective. In football, the head coach and assistant coaches evaluate the competition along with their own team's strengths before coming up with a strategy. Once a plan is in place, it's shared with the team. If there's an injured player, the coach needs to factor that into the plan by moving positions around. Just like football, it's important for team leaders to evaluate their resources before they design the playbook. For example, if a team member has a prior commitment on the day of a presentation, they must communicate that to their team leader. The team leader then needs to factor that into their strategy by shifting the presentation date or choosing a new presenter, and communicating the change to the necessary people. Without this upfront communication, the whole strategy will be ineffective. Having a client communication plan in place is also crucial, to ensure that, once your team are on the same page, that this can be effectively relayed to the customer, and vice versa. 3. Run the Play With the plan set — it's now time to execute. In football, there are several key players involved in running a winning play. Let's look at a common running play: a draw. This play is designed to trick the defense into thinking the offense is about to run a pass play by having the offensive linemen act as if they're going to protect the quarterback in the pocket. Instead, the quarterback drops back, turns, and hands the ball to his running back. Although it sounds straightforward, this play often falls apart due to poor communication. If the running back isn't aware of the play, he won't be ready to receive the hand-off from the quarterback. The important tip here is to make sure that everyone is on the same page. The team needs to not only work together, but also understand the game plan and what their role entails. One way to ensure this accountability is to assign a particular task to each individual and come up with a deadline for when each task needs to be completed. Then, host regular progress meetings to make sure everyone is on track and answer any questions they may have. It's important to maintain communication throughout the entire project. Any gaps in communication could result in someone dropping the ball. 4. Evaluate the Strategy At this point, the question is simple: are we moving forward? In football, moving the ball ten yards forward results in a first down. First down keeps the team on the field, as long as they keep moving forward and achieving first downs. Penalties and incomplete throws are examples of instances where the team loses yards. When this occurs, the strategy needs to change. The head coach will look at where the problems occurred and think of a different plan. This is also a time when the coach will evaluate his team and see what changes he needs to make in the lineup. When evaluating a project strategy, it's important to not only look at the plan but also the team players. Is someone slacking on a particular task? Maybe they don't have as much experience, so it takes them longer to complete their task than the rest of the team? These types of observations should be made as early as possible in order to fine-tune the project plan and responsibilities. 5. Touchdown! Woo hoo! By this point, the vision and goals shared in the beginning have been executed and achieved through effective communication and teamwork. It's important to remember exactly what worked and what didn't when this step is reached. The plans may be different, but the communication can be just as successful. Now let's go watch some football!
Productivity Playlists Guaranteed To Help You Get More Done
Some might argue that music helps the hours go by faster and keeps you focused, while others argue that music is distracting and makes it harder to concentrate. When considering whether music is more constructive rather than destructive for work, it's important to consider the type of work being done.
What Gilmore Girls Can Teach You About Project Stakeholder Management
Gilmore Girls is a feel-good, American TV show known for its rapid-fire dialogue. And yet its revival on Netflix can teach us valuable lessons in project stakeholder management. Grab a cup of coffee and read on.
34 Holiday Buys for Productivity Junkies (Gift Guide)
Productivity enthusiasts are a tough bunch to buy for. They loathe the distractions of clutter, so forego useless trinkets and get them something they’re sure to love: the gift of getting more done! Each of these gifts will bring greater efficiency (and a smile) to the face of your favorite prolific pal. GADGETS & APPS Tools that help you get more done. 1. Flic Wireless Smart Buttons Create a shortcut that initiates your favorite actions without pulling out your smartphone. Turn out the lights, hit snooze, take a selfie, start navigation, and more at the touch of a (physical) button. Pre-order it here. 2. Tile Attach these minimally-designed tiles to anything you'd hate to lose: your keys, luggage, bike, etc. The app shows you when you get closer to your lost item, or you can program your tile to make noise. Start your day organized and calm, instead of in a frantic rush of "Where'd it go?!" nerves. Get it here. 3. Alfred App Powerpack For your Mac laptop. Create shortcuts and hotkeys, search the web or your hard drive, create workflows, and more. Use it as a replacement for Spotlight and make your Mac more efficient. Get it here. (Or try the Free version yourself). 4. Spotify Premium subscription Listening to your favorite music (without the ads) puts you in a good mood and triggers higher brain function. And Spotify's "Deep Focus" playlist is great for getting in the zone (and staying there). Get it here. 5. Belkin WeMo Insight switch Turn your home devices on and off via mobile app. Works with IFTTT.com, or you can use “recipes” to complete specific actions. Free your brain from daily distractions like, “Did I leave the kitchen light on?” Get it here. 6. Noise-canceling headphones Minimize distraction with a set of noise-canceling headphones. You'll never have to worry about overhearing those "TMI" personal conversations in the office again. Bose QuietComfort: Get them here. 7. A simple alarm clock Stop using your phone as an alarm. It's more likely to distract you with incoming notifications and keep your mind racing than help you sleep. Instead, opt for a simple alarm clock that displays only the time. Retro Digital Flip Clock: Get it here. 8. Health & wellness tracker A healthy lifestyle is essential to productivity. There are dozens of options to choose from, including the Jawbone UP24, which will "nudge" you when you've been inactive for too long. A perfect reminder to take a productivity break. Find the perfect device for you here. BOOKS & BRAIN-BOOSTERS Get your brain in shape for the New Year. 1. The Happiness Project Gretchen Rubin spent one full year trying science-based tricks and popular strategies to bring more joy to every aspect of her life. Find out what worked and add some happiness to your own life. Get it here. 2. Brain Rules (updated & expanded) John Medina’s bestseller explains the science of how our brains work and outlines 12 strategies for improving your brain's performance. Get it here. 3. The Mindfulness app Rejuvenate your mind and sharpen your focus with daily meditation. This app includes guided sessions from a quick 3 minutes to a half hour, or you can meditate silently until you hear the bells. Get it from the App Store or Google Play Store. 4. Action Method notebook Developed by Bechance founder Scott Belsky, The Action Method breaks every undertaking into three components: Action Steps, References, and Backburner items. This notebook is designed so that every page has clear sections to capture each component. Get it here. 5. Unstuck Productivity Tips Cards This deck of cards helps pinpoint the cause of productivity slumps and gives tips to help move past them. Also available in "Conjure Your Creativity", "Stop Your Procrastination", and "Stop Your Negative Thinking." Get them here. ROAD WARRIOR PRODUCTIVITY A long commute or hectic travel schedule shouldn't slow you down. 1. Portable USB charger No outlet at the airport? No problem. Anker Astro Portable Charger: Get it here. 2. Logitech Keys-to-Go Keyboard Work in comfort with this portable, durable keyboard. Pairs via bluetooth and runs on a rechargeable 3-month battery. Get it here. 3. Smartpen Record and replay on-the-go voice memos or reminders, and transfer handwritten notes scribbled on napkins and receipts into digital text so you can sync your analog & digital worlds. Livescribe Echo Smartpen: Get it here. 4. Powerbag This backpack contains a portable battery for charging your smartphone or tablet. Get it here. 5. Gigs2Go USB Flash Drives This tear-away USB pack is made of extremely durable recycled paper and plastic: it's shockproof, waterproof, and doesn't need a cap. Get it here. PRODUCTIVITY-ENHANCING STOCKING STUFFERS Sometimes big productivity comes in small packages. 1. Lemon-scented candle The pleasant smell of lemons improves focus and reduces errors by 54%. (If you're buying for an office buddy, you might want to stick with something non-flammable like this diffuser.) Williams-Sonoma Meyer Lemon Candle: Get it here. 2. Chocolate Aside from being delicious, chocolate releases dopamine, a hormone that motivates action, along with chemicals that promote calm and stimulate brain function. Godiva 72% Dark Chocolate Bar: Get it here. 3. “Make It Happen” Notebook by Panama For capturing goals big and small — and inspiring commitment. Get it here. 4. Aquanotes Waterproof Notepad For that buddy who claims their best ideas always come to them in the shower. Get it here. 5. Desktop organizer An organized worker is a happy and productive worker. Clear the clutter and save the 76 hours you spend each year looking for lost stuff. iStick Multifunction Desk Organizer: Get it here. 6. Cable clips Another simple organization item to keep your workspace tidy. CableDrop Cable Clips: Get them here. 7. Adorable desk calendar Looking at baby animals improves concentration and focus — and likely puts you in a better mood too. Who can stay grumpy with an adorable fluff ball always in sight? Puppies & Friends 2015: Get it here. 8. Colorful art print Use color psychology to beautify your office and stimulate your brain. Blue helps you concentrate and can make you more productive, while yellow improves your mood and can stimulate creativity. Water lilies by Monet: Get it here. 9. Flowers & Seeds Houseplants increase your focus, motivation, and creativity, while simultaneously eliminating harmful microbes. Potted gardenia: Get it here. OFFICE SHENANIGANS Having fun at the office is the new productivity essential. 1. Mustache paper clips Give your reports and memos some comical style. Get them here. 2. Clip-on desk cup holder Keep your caffeine close at hand, without worrying about accidental spills. Get it here. 3. USB rocket launcher Office warfare is serious business. Maximize your firepower with this nerf rocket launcher. Get it here. 4. Origami Sticky Notes Impress your colleagues by upcycling your used notes into fun origami masterpieces. Get it here. 5. "You Earned It" Bottle Opener Crack open a cold one in celebration of a job well done. Get it here. 6. I Am Very Busy art print Aren't we all? Get it here. 7. "You Can Do It!" mug For just the right amount of encouragement (and caffeine) on those days you'd rather be in bed. Mugs by Emily McDowell: Get it here. Happy Holidays from the Wrike team!