Do you know how much your out-of-control to-do list is costing you?
When you are constantly pulled in too many directions, the value of your time decreases.
This is a common problem agency owners face, especially when first starting out. It’s easy to blame yourself and your own lack of time management skills as to why you get behind.
But the reality is, as the agency owner, there will always be endless distractions coming your way. Instead of enabling your team and taking on more than what you can handle, it’s time to rewrite the way your team is managing their own time.
Like it or not, YOU are the person responsible for driving the team in the right direction, so your time needs to reflect that. If your time is constantly sucked up in client work or other tasks your team needs support with, you're robbing your own business from reaching its fullest potential.
Analyze your business from a birds eye view for a moment.
If a new captain had to take over your agency NOW, how clear would their job be?
Would they know how and where to access tools, reports, and information?
Would they know what everyone on the team is responsible for?
Would they know where to access the current roster of projects and tasks that the team is responsible for?
Would they know how to respond to client inquiries timely and correctly?
If you currently do not have solidified processes within your business, you are doing your team a disservice. You need to provide a system that works if you want to foster a team that can manage their time effectively and stays accountable to their tasks.
Your #1 goal should be to help your team become as effective as possible. To lay a strong foundation for your agency’s new system, focus on these key pillars:
Focus (uninterrupted time for you and your team to really DO the work).
Plan (everyone is on the same page of the process and definition of done).
Prioritization (the plan is oriented around what needs to get done FIRST).
Perfecting your time management skills isn’t QUITE that easy, however. In order to build these foundational pillars, you’ll also need:
Communication: The team is given channels to communicate quickly and effectively. Instant messaging apps like Slack and video recording tools like Loom can help move projects along much more quickly compared to email chains or scheduled meetings.
Time management/ time blocking: Actually carving out time on the calendar to complete tasks to ensure they actually get done.
No distractions: Limit notifications, reevaluate unnecessary meetings, and remove any other distractions that impede you and your team’s focus time.
Now that we have the 6 key elements of a successful system for your agency, it's time to build one for yourself.
If you don’t plan for it, it won’t happen. To really make substantial improvements to your process, budget 15-30 minutes each week to evaluate all of your upcoming tasks. While we recommend Friday as the best day to plan for the new week ahead, choose a day that YOU will be able to remain consistent with.
Consider all 40 hours of your upcoming workweek, and begin to block time for task completion and due dates on the calendar. Consider these points to help you get started:
When assigning due dates, consider the entire life cycle of the project.
How much time will each step of the project need?
By what date will the final draft need to be submitted for review?
How long does the design team need to publish the final product?
Do you anticipate any delays that will require schedule adjustments?
Is any member of the team too overwhelmed and needs some help?
All the planning in the world won’t eliminate unexpected delays or hiccups.
But by taking 15 minutes every week to strategize and get the entire team on the same page, you can have the confidence that they will know how to handle problems autonomously (without you needing to get involved).
Once your team has their plan for the week, they’ll need an effective communication strategy to execute the work on time.
When your team is not all following the same set of communication expectations, missed messages and crossed wires will quickly derail productivity.
If you need to give your communication strategy a reset, consider implementing these go-to hacks:
If the message you need to relay requires more than 2 sentences, send a Loom. This ensures topics that require a bit more detail are communicated thoroughly.
If the message you need to relay requires a reply to move forward, it renders a phone or video call.
Utilize a shared calendar to document due dates, time off, and other important events.
It’s time to take back control of your calendar.
Instead of wasting time and money constantly playing catchup, it's time to get back to basics.
By investing the time and effort into building a system that WORKS for you and your team, EVERYONE can become empowered to do their best work.