team Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Appointment - Online Appointment Scheduling Software

What Do You Do When You Don’t Have a Team to Delegate To?

By | Business Tips | No Comments
How to Make Your Company Vision Resonate With Employees

One of my cousins recently reached out to me for advice. He wants to start his own photography business. For the time being, it has to be a side hustle until the business takes off on its own. So far, so good, I told him. Here is what to do when you don’t have a team to delegate to.

The problem with my cousin is that he doesn’t have the time or resources right now for all for administrative tasks and content marketing. You know. The important parts of starting and growing a self-sustaining business that is often delegated to someone else.

I can totally emphasize with him. When I was just starting out, this was also a problem. Since I didn’t have a team yet, it was my responsibility to take care of these tedious tasks. Suffice to say, I was putting in a lot of hours and feeling extremely overwhelmed.

Thankfully, I learned some tricks to get out of this dilemma along my own entrepreneurial journey. I didn’t hesitate to share these options with my cousin. And, now, I want to pass them along to you, and anyone who is starting up a business on their own.

Everything is not a priority.

My first suggestion was to come to the realization that not everything is a top priority. I know. Easier said than done. But, my Calendar co-founder John Hall has previously explained how to achieve this in a Calendar blog post.

Before doing anything else, clear your head by taking a deep breath. Next, “think, compose a list or look at your calendar to see everything that’s on your plate.” Sure. These items may be important, but “they don’t all deserve equal treatment.”

“Instead of believing that everything needs to be done right now, determine which actions indeed are your priorities,” adds John. “Ideally, these should be the tasks that move you closer to achieving your goals. Other factors include urgency, due dates, ROI, or the consequences of not completing the task or project.”

Now, in most cases, you could create a priority matric, like the popular Eisenhower, to help you separate the urgent from important. However, that usually still involves delegating less important tasks to someone else. So, an alternative would be to “triage.”

“If you’re somewhat with the medical industry, then you’ve probably heard of the term triage,” John explains. “If you’re not, triage determining which patients need immediate treatment. For instance, if you went to the ER because of the flu, you would be seen after the older adult who is in cardiac arrest.”

When it comes to prioritizing your work, you can use triaging to identify what you need to do right now by placing them into the immediate category. For the “non-life threatening” tasks, schedule them for later or remove them from your list or calendar.

Done is better than perfect.

Sometimes good is enough. That doesn’t mean phoning it in or deliver subpar work. It just means that you shouldn’t obsess over being perfect.

For example, my cousin needs to get a website up to display his portfolio. My advice is to just get a domain and set-up a standard WordPress site with a theme geared towards photography. The site doesn’t have to be “perfect” just yet. It can tinker with his site until it’s more to his liking.

But, for the time being, he needs to get a site up and running. It’s all about taking that first step, enjoying the process, and setting the bar at “good enough.”

Negotiate your time.

Look, when it comes to your time, some things are non-negotiable. Usually, these are your priorities that you’ve already added to your calendar. For example, if my cousin already committed to a photography gig, then he can’t accept another job on the same date and time.

But, what if this request doesn’t have an exact timeframe? He may be able to find an alternative. Let’s say someone asked him to snap pictures for their LinkedIn profile on the same day that he’s already working a wedding. The wedding is non-negotiable. But, my cousin is free the following day so this other job then.

Or, depending on his niche, he may recommend certain jobs to someone else. My cousin may not have the time or equipment to do travel photography. So, he may recommend this job to a photographer who specializes in this area.

However, if he doesn’t have the availability or the job isn’t worth the time or money, then he needs to get comfortable saying “no.”

Use technology to your advantage.

Thanks to AI and machine learning, there is plenty of technology at your fingertips that can handle repetitive tasks. For example, my cousin could use scheduling software like Calendar to take care of all of their scheduling needs. He could simply share his calendar on his site or through an email. The client then sees when he’s available and books him. It’s a simple way to eliminate those back and forth communications.

A business owner can also use tools to automate his emails, social media accounts, marketing, and sales. If he can’t find a free option, most are affordable enough that they’re within his budget. And, while he’ll still need to put in the occasional human touch, it can help reduce the number of recurring tasks he’s responsible for.

Ask for help or outsource.

What about the things that he can’t automate? Well, he could ask for volunteers or outsource them.

When I launched my own business, I asked family members for help. My wife assisted with administrative tasks, while my sibling produced content for me. All startups can learn to barter with other people. My cousin found he could work a wedding for his accountant’s daughter in exchange for preparing his taxes.

If that’s not an option, you can find low-cost outsourcing alternatives. Like my cousin could go on Fiverr and find freelancers to optimize his website or promote his business on social media at a reasonable price. Know when you should outsource.

Know when to hire team members.

Depending on your business, this will vary. I doubt that my cousin would need a full-time PR agent. But, at some point, he may decide to hire a Virtual Assistant to handle things like scheduling and billing.

But, when should he does this? Well, Neil Patel writes in a previous Entrepreneur article that you shouldn’t hire because you’re desperate or don’t have “a defined set of responsibilities and expectations for your new hire.” Instead, it should be when they can either make or save money for your business. Most importantly, they should have specific skillsets that you don’t possess.

After you’ve begun hiring team members, delegating work to them should be straightforward. I mean if you hired a developer, then you know that those tasks go through them. However, you still need to learn how to delegate, like clearly explaining expectations and outcomes. And, you need to be willing to give up some control and grant them ownership.

Data Visualization is the Key to Team Productivity

By | Business Tips | No Comments

What is data visualization? That’s an excellent question since it plays a vital role in analytics — you know, which are two vitally important topics in today’s high-tech world. Anyway, data visualization as easily defined by the SAS Insitute as “the presentation of data in a pictorial or graphical format.”

SAS adds that this “enables decision-makers to see analytics presented visually, so they can grasp difficult concepts or identify new patterns.” That means using interactive visualization to “take the concept a step further by using technology to drill down into charts and graphs for more detail, interactively changing what data you see and how it’s processed.” Or, to put it more straightforward, data visualization is one of the steps you need to take in data analysis and science.

What’s interesting about data visualization, though, is that it’s not a not concept. It’s been used for centuries in the form of maps in the 17th century and the introduction of the pie chart in the early 1800s. However, one of the most well-known examples is the statistical graphics that Charles Minard mapped during Napoleon’s invasion of Russia. The map, as SAS explains, “depicted the size of the army as well as the path of Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow — and tied that information to temperature and time scales for a more in-depth understanding of the event.”

Data visualization today.

But, data visualization came into its own as technology advanced. Since computers are now able “to process large amounts of data at lightning-fast speeds,” we need a way to digest this information efficiently. By breaking down this data, we’re then able to identify problems and develop solutions. It can also be used to drive innovation, spot emerging trends, and uncover new insights — just to name a few.

While these benefits are incredible, did you also know that data visualization can be the key to team productivity as well?

Visual learning is more efficient.

Humans are visual creatures. Sure, some of us may be auditory or kinesthetic learners. But, a majority of us learn best visually. The reason? We’re just better able to respond to and process visual data than any other type of data.

It’s been found that the human brain can process images 60,000 times faster than text. Also, 90 percent of information transmitted to the brain is visual. Even more impressive, MIT neuroscientists have reported that the brain can identify images seen in just 13 milliseconds.

It’s also been found that when using visuals, the average worker can increase both retention and comprehension by 50 percent. Moreover, visuals can break down language barriers and motivate others.

Focuses on what’s important.

Let’s say that your organization uses a visual aid like a dashboard. For those unfamiliar, Stephen Few defines this as “a visual display of the most important information needed to achieve one or more objectives; consolidated and arranged on a single screen so the information can be monitored at a glance.”

A dashboard, adds G2’s Laura Nunneley, “makes your team’s most important data visible, understandable, and actionable so that they can measure and improve their performance.” Having this at their fingerprints can improve their performance in several ways.

At the forefront, this makes their critical data accessible, and this shows where they’re making the most impact. As a result, this keeps them motivated and inspired to take action. But, most importantly, it keeps your entire team on the same page by reminding them what’s most important.

“When your team is taking care of day-to-day tasks, they can get distracted and lose sight of what’s important,” writes Laura. “A dashboard avoids this by making any KPIs (key performance indicators) or meaningful and important objectives visible for your team.” In turn, this will encourage them to “focus on work that will make a difference. And, “when priorities change, a dashboard makes new objectives clear to keep your team on course.”

Data helps make faster and better decisions.

It’s been estimated that the average person makes an astounding 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day. So if you’re indecisive or hung up on decisions, then you need all the help that you can get so that you can proceed. And, this is most true when others can’t move forward until you’ve made a decision.

For example, before implementing a marketing campaign, you have to OK it before it’s launched. The longer you wait to make the decision, the longer your marketing team is just sitting there waiting.

How can data help in this area? Well, when you’re presented with data visually, you can spot any patterns or trends more easily and quickly –or even those that you may have never noticed. With this information at hand, you can make more informed decisions promptly.

Advances AI and machine learning.

Big data. Artificial intelligence. Machine learning. I’m sure you’ve heard all about these buzzwords. While each is unique, they’re also closely interconnected. For instance, you need to collect and analyze specific datasets for machine learning algorithms to make predictions and automate particular actions. Case in point, machine learning could learn you and your team’s schedule to make smart suggestions on how everyone should spend their time.

Of course, that’s just one example. Machine learning and AI can be used virtually everywhere, ranging from providing customer service to creating content for managing shipping logistics. In turn, this frees up your team’s time so that they can devote their time and energy on the most critical matters.

If this isn’t your wheelhouse, then that’s where data visualization comes in. It puts the data in context so that it can be applied to automating decisions.

Enhances communication and collaboration.

Finally, and most importantly, data visualization enhances both communication and collaboration. That’s because, through visuals, you can quickly and more effectively communicate your story to others. Furthermore, visuals give you and your team access to everyone’s strengths and skills. That means you can assign the right tasks to the right individuals and fill in the gaps when you need to.

Getting the most out data visualization.

Here’s one final advantage to data visualization; it can be accessed and shared from anywhere. That makes it an indispensable tool for both your in-house and remote teams. The caveat? You need to make sure that you’re using it properly. And, here are some ways to make that’s possible.

SAS suggests that before doing anything with data visualization, you should take the following steps:

  • Understand the data you’re trying to visualize, such as the size and uniqueness.
  • Determine the data you want to visualize and what needs to be communicated.
  • Know your audience and their learning preferences.
  • Use visuals that present the information as briefly and simply as possible.

Also, keep in mind that there are different diagrams for various situations that write Nishadha Silva over at Business 2 Community. Examples include:

  • Mind maps for brainstorming. They’re able to “stimulate creative thinking and work both the left brain and the right brain.”
  • Flowcharts to visualize processes and flows.
  • Gantt charts can be used when updating the status of a project.
  • Organizational charts “provide a visual hierarchy of your organization.” You can use this to clarify the various roles and responsibilities within your organization.
  • Fishbone diagrams, also known as cause and effect. These are perfect when you need “to find defects or inefficiencies in a process.”
Register Now & Get a 30 Day Trial Register Now