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Month: June 2015
Just Ask That Question
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In a book I read years ago, the title of which is now lost to time, one of the key takeaways went something like this: If you have a question, it’s likely that other people in the room have the same question but they have been there too long to ask it without feeling like…
Marketing isn’t slimy, it’s crucial
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I know that most of us feel marketing is slimy. It feels as if we regularly go around telling everyone how awesome we are. Over time we may begin to feel like our heads will barely fit in any room we enter. Let me ask you a question, though: If you don’t tell anyone what…
Nothing will be gained by fighting
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Sure you could argue about being called names by your client, but is it actually going to change their mind? Are you ever going to see them again? Don’t waste your time fighting with them, just be polite and move on.
Don’t take your laptop
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We’ve all done it — headed off to a conference, with laptop in tow for taking notes and recording the wealth of information we gain from the conference. Yet we end up doing work, or Twitter or…simply not taking notes and learning like we had planned. Even if you’re better than me (which I’m pretty…
This is your last task in a meeting
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While I really dislike meetings in general, they are necessary on occasion. Sometimes, the most productive — and efficient — way to figure a project out can be to get everyone in the room for a bit and hash out details rather than sending 1 million emails for weeks. But have you ever left a…
Run a better company by adding a 5-15
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I’ve talked before about how I email clients at the beginning and end of every week. I really hope you’ve started to do that with your own clients. This simple action will pay off big-time, because your clients will think you’re awesome since you take such good care of them. Let’s now take this a…
Are you the productivity bottleneck?
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As people who run teams, we should be helping our teams run well. They should be productive and equipped with everything they need to keep the ball rolling. Some of you may be like me — you like to see things written down, with clear dates and tasks assigned to you. Some of you hate…
What if you have a bad manager
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The only thing you can actually take care of is yourself. Give your manager weekly email updates on what you’re doing and expected deliverables. Build out a training manual and give it to your manager so they can have it for the next person joining the team.
What are your standard operating procedures?
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One of the big things that will affect the efficiency of your business — and perhaps even your ultimate business success — is how well you’ve standardized procedures and repetitive tasks. I’ve created some standard operating procedures to remove the decision-making process around repeated tasks or habits, and streamline my days. Stuff like: I don’t…
Lack of trust is a hiring problem
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Last week, I was talking with an agency owner who is having trouble with his employees. At least in his eyes, the trouble is with his employees. The main issue is that he doesn’t feel he can ‘trust’ them with a project without his direct oversight every day. I just can’t trust them to do…
