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How to Deal with Uncertainty in Project Planning

How to Deal with Uncertainty in Project Planning

A project schedule is never static, and all estimates are subject to uncertainty. A schedule is made up of a series of tasks that must be completed in a predefined sequence.

However, if you have many projects in progress at the same time or overlap in time, having a longer-term strategy that considers how they interact is necessary. This is especially true if some activities take longer than others because you can’t start working until another task has been completed.

If you try to create such an ‘overall plan’ without any consideration for uncertainty then things will get complicated, very quickly.

In this blog article, we’ll look at what uncertainty looks like in project planning and the many forms it might take, as well as how to deal with it.

What is uncertainty in project management

What is uncertainty in project management?

Uncertainty is when you lack the necessary information to make a decision. It can manifest itself in a variety of ways, and it poses a risk to your project’s success. It’s up to you as a project manager to ensure that you plan for uncertainty.

Zone of uncertainty in project management

The zone of uncertainty is the range of possible outcomes. For example, if there’s a 50% chance that you will deliver by February and a 90% chance that you will be done by April, then your zone of uncertainty is between February and March.

The zone of uncertainty is important to keep in mind because it can help you make decisions about your project. You should always be prepared for the best and worst-case scenarios.

For example, if you know that there’s a high chance that your project will finish on time but there’s also a small chance that it could take longer, then you should build some buffer into your schedule.

One of the most important tasks in project management is to identify uncertainty and map it out across your plan so that you can be prepared for what’s ahead in your project.

If there are changes, then be sure to update all of the downstream activities as well by updating dependencies between tasks. In this way, you can be sure that your team is always aware of the latest uncertainty and risk on your project.

Uncertainty takes many forms

Uncertainty takes many forms

The following are some of the most common sources of uncertainty:

  • Changes in customer requirements
  • Changes in technology
  • Availability of resources
  • Political and economic conditions

Changes in customer requirements

Changes in customer requirements are one of the biggest sources of uncertainty in project management. Customers often change their minds about what they want, when they want it, and how much they will pay for your product or service.

Changes in technology

Another typical source of uncertainty is technological change. For example, as a project progresses and new technologies are developed, it may not be possible to use the older versions for your product anymore. This uncertainty can result from any number of factors such as:

  • New regulations that require upgraded equipment or processes;
  • A change in industry standards;
  • New technologies that are more effective or efficient than the ones you’re using.

Availability of resources

Sometimes uncertainty can also come from a lack of resources, such as:

  • Insufficient skills within your team;
  • A lack of funding to pay for specialized equipment and expertise.

Political and economic conditions

Economic uncertainty can also cause problems for your project. For example, if the country you’re doing business in experiences a recession, your customers may have less money to spend, or they may switch to cheaper products.

Political uncertainty can also affect your project. For instance, if there is a change in government it could result in new regulations that affect your project, or the government may decide to fund a rival project.

How uncertainty affects your project plan

How uncertainty affects your project plan and what you can do!

Project uncertainty can cause your project plan to change in other ways as well. In this section, we will look at how uncertainty affects the project budget, schedule, team dynamics, and communication.

How uncertainty affects the Budget

The uncertainty in a cost estimate is determined by the range of possible outcomes and how likely you think each outcome is.

For example, if there are only two possibilities with costs at $100 or $200 then uncertainty would be great because it’s unclear what will happen.

However, if there are many possibilities with a wide range of costs then uncertainty is low because the chances are good that at least one of the outcomes will be within your estimated budget.

Here’s what you can do to account for uncertainty in your project budget:

  • Estimate the cost of each outcome and then multiply that by the likelihood of it happening.
  • Add a buffer to your budget to cover any unexpected costs.

How uncertainty affects the schedule

How uncertainty affects the schedule

Your schedule is also affected by uncertainty. When you don’t know how long a task will take, it’s difficult to put an accurate estimate on the duration of your project. Uncertainty means that your schedule is at risk of change.

There are three ways that uncertainty can affect your schedule:

  1. uncertainty in task duration
  2. uncertainty in the task sequence
  3. uncertainty in dependencies between tasks

In addition, uncertainty can cause schedule changes when tasks are delayed or fast-tracked. What to do if your project falls behind schedule?

If your project falls behind schedule, there are a few things you can do:

  • break down the remaining tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces;
  • adjust the schedule to reflect the new reality;
  • add resources to help you catch up.

How uncertainty affects Team Dynamics

When uncertainty is high, team members may become anxious and stressed. This can lead to tension within the team and a decrease in productivity. In addition, some members of the team may try to take on more responsibility to reduce the uncertainty they feel.

What to do if your team members are overwhelmed with uncertainty?

If you identify that some of your team members are feeling uncertain about their responsibilities, it’s important to ease the load. You can do this by:

  • Give your team clearer job descriptions.
  • Assign tasks based on skill sets or experience where possible.
  • Offer training and development opportunities.
  • Provide support and guidance.

How uncertainty affects communication

When there’s a lot of uncertainty in a project, it can be difficult to communicate effectively. This is because when people are anxious or stressed, they tend to become defensive and closed off. As a result, important information may not be shared with team members, which can lead to problems down the road.

What can you do to maintain effective communication in a project where there is uncertainty?

To keep your team informed and on the same page, you need to:

  • Clarify expectations.
  • Plan for regular updates.
  • Reduce distractions.

How to reduce uncertainty

How to reduce uncertainty

It’s unrealistic to expect uncertainty to be eradicated from your project plan. But there are ways to minimize the degree of uncertainty. Let’s say for example your project is to develop new software.

You can reduce the uncertainty by doing the following:

  1. Break the project into smaller tasks and milestones.
  2. Gather input from subject matter experts.
  3. Perform pilot tests.
  4. Building in contingency time buffers.

1. Break the project into smaller tasks and milestones.

For example, if you have a project to create a new website. Your initial plan might be something like this:

  • Build the home page
  • Create navigation menu
  • Add a blog section to the site

However, this plan is very vague. You have no idea how long each of these tasks will take. So it’s not possible to estimate your project duration or completion date. Let’s break down this project into smaller milestones and tasks, which will help reduce the overall uncertainty.

  • Build a wireframe for your home page
  • Create an HTML template for your main navigation menu
  • Add blog functionality to the site based on client requirements

This plan is much more detailed and specific, so it’s easier to estimate how long each task might take. This gives you a better idea of how long your project will take.

2. Gather input from subject matter experts

If you’re working on a software development project to create new features, ask for client feedback early in the process. This can help reduce uncertainty throughout your project’s duration.

For example, asking clients what their top priority features are at the beginning of a project will give you a good idea of what to build first.

3. Perform pilot tests

You can reduce project uncertainty by testing your deliverables early on with real users. This will help identify any issues or problems before they become bigger problems during the main project phase, which saves time and money in the long run.

4. Building in contingency time buffers

No matter how well you plan, there will always be some degree of uncertainty in your project. This is especially true for projects with tight deadlines.

To account for this, it’s important to build contingency time buffers into your project plan. This will help ensure that your team isn’t rushed and stressed out trying to meet a deadline they know is unrealistic.

Summary of section

Breaking your project into smaller tasks, gathering input from subject matter experts, performing pilot tests, and building in contingency time buffers are all techniques that can help reduce the effects of uncertainty on your project. By using these techniques, you’ll be able to deliver a successful project despite the inevitable surprises that come up during planning and execution.

Consider the following ideas to help you deal with uncertainty while preparing a project:

Ideas to help you deal with uncertainty while preparing a project

  • Assess uncertainty early on, if possible. If you are working closely with your customer or team members, they may already have some information to share about what is uncertain and how it will affect their work tasks. You should also ask them for their input on how uncertainty can be dealt with.
  • Include uncertainty in your project schedule so that you know what to expect when uncertainty happens, and how long it will take for uncertainty to resolve itself. For example, if tasks are on hold due to a lack of information or resources, you should allow time buffers between each task while the work is delayed. This will help you to create a realistic schedule.
  • Include uncertainty in your project budget so that you know what the potential cost implications are if uncertainty causes changes in work tasks or resource requirements for your project. This will help you determine how much flexibility is available within the overall budget based on any uncertainty that may happen during the planning and execution of your project plan.
  • Use risk management techniques to help you understand and manage uncertainty. For example, create a risk register that documents all of the risks in your project, including those related to uncertainty. This will help you track potential impacts on your schedule and budget as the project progresses.

Conclusion

Uncertainty is an unavoidable part of project planning. However, by following the suggestions above, you can reduce the impact that uncertainty has on your project’s duration and budget. By assessing and managing risk, building contingency time buffers into your schedule, and including uncertainty in your project plan, you can ensure that your team stays on track despite the unknowns.

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A Stitch in Time: How to Use Mitigating Controls in Project Planning

Mitigating Controls

Do you keep an umbrella in the back seat of your car? That is such an awesome fix for those times when you pull into a parking lot just as it starts to pour.

But an umbrella certainly doesn’t stop rain from falling (if only!). It simply lessens its impact on you.

We face risks everywhere we go, and have all sorts of approaches for preventing and mitigating them.

And project management certainly is no exception.

Any experienced project manager knows that the best way to to launch a project is by putting all known risks on the table, with every stakeholder standing by. Next, the team sets itself up for success by creating a strategy to manage each and every risk.

Using mitigating controls is a critical part of this strategy.

The umbrella is an example of a mitigating control: it doesn’t prevent you from being caught in a rainstorm, but it eases the impact, should the unfortunate incident occur.

Let’s go over what a mitigating control is, and then look at how it fits into the wider context of risk management for project planning.

What is a Mitigating Control?

Before defining “mitigating control”, let’s break it down and first define the verb “mitigate.”

According to The Merriam Webster Dictionary, “mitigate” means to make less severe or harmful; to alleviate.

An umbrella mitigates the impact of a rainstorm; a boss might use soothing language to mitigate the delivery of disappointing news.

A mitigating control, then, has to do with lessening the severity of a threat after it occurs. It’s not about preventing the threat from happening in the first place.

When you implement a mitigating control into a project strategy, you act as though an asset has already been lost or threatened. The mitigating control, then, directly addresses the threat, not the asset.

Examples of Mitigating Controls

Let’s look at a few examples of how a company would use a mitigating control in the workplace or in project planning, in order to alleviate risk.

A Firewall

Every company has hordes of valuable information stored on its computers, all of which could be wiped out within minutes by a cyberattack. A mitigating control against this terrifying threat would be installing a firewall to block viruses and untrusted networks from accessing the company’s servers.

A Succession Plan

A skilled team is probably the most important asset to any project. Losing any number of team members poses a risk to a project’s successful completion. A good succession plan is a mitigating control to alleviate some of this risk. This way, the company is ready in the event of an unexpected absence or departure.

An Emergency Budget

A successful project certainly needs to deliver a quality product to the client. This deliverable is dependent on highly skilled labor. If some team members aren’t sufficiently skilled, however, it means the delivery of a sloppy or subpar product. One way to mitigate this risk would be to set aside a portion of the budget in the event that some work is scrapped and has to be re-done.

As you can see, a mitigating control has to do with putting a plan into place for when a threatening event transpires. It’s not about preventing this threat from happening in the first place.

Mitigating Controls Within Risk Management

Mitigating controls are only one aspect of managing risk. Let’s look at some other methods of risk management, to see how it fits into the entire strategy.

Asset Protection

In addition to creating a “how do we back out of a dead-end” plan, it’s also necessary for a project to include strategies for not ending up at the dead-end to begin with.

For example, in order to retain a good team, a project manager can promise a bonus or another incentive to every one who stays on board with a project through its completion.

And in order to hire a skilled team of freelancers and contractors, a manager can have criteria for vetting potential hires, including reviewing previous work and soliciting references.

Compensating Controls

Risk management oftentimes requires additional resources, and sometimes these resources simply aren’t available. In these instances, it’s necessary to use something called compensating controls.

A compensating control is additional surveillance or protocol when a project doesn’t have proper segregation of duties.

Let’s look at an example. In an ideal scenario, a programming team passes on its code to another team for testing and peer review. However, when this second team doesn’t exist, the same team must test its own code. In order to lessen the risk of defects, a company would then use a compensating control, such as an additional management review of the code.

In essence, a compensating control is making up for a weak link in segregation of duties. Some other examples of compensating controls include second signatures on important documents, and detailed independent reviews of transactions.

In sum, a good project risk strategy not only includes mitigating controls, but also has compensating controls, as well as a plan for protecting assets in the first place.

Softening the Blow

Without a proper risk-assessment strategy, a project is sure to hit an impasse that prevents its completion.

A mitigating control is an important part of this strategy. It’s all about having a plan in place to soften the blow of an external threat.

We employ mitigating controls in our life all the time. Having some gas in the car if you’re ever stuck on the road with an empty tank, and using euphemisms when delivering bad news are two everyday methods for lessening the severity of a rough situation.

In addition to using mitigating controls, a comprehensive risk management strategy also uses compensating controls and asset protection.

This sort of “no strike out” risk management plan not only keeps the curve balls and fastballs from coming at you, but it allows you to make a hit, or at worst foul, every single time.

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A Leader’s Guide to Working with Introverts

Dealing with introverts at work

All people should be treated equally. However, when it comes to management, specific individuals may demand a different approach—and introverts are one such example.

Introverts are often misrepresented in modern society. They’re seen as isolated, shy, and unforthcoming, which is far from true. The fundamental difference between an introverted and an extroverted person lies exclusively in the types of settings that energize them. The former need short breaks from social interactions to recharge, while the latter need to socialize to liven up. However, it’s important to stress that these are gross oversimplifications of their identities.

As a manager or team member, it’s important to consider these dimensions of human personality when trying to bond with people and help them reach peak efficiency and motivation.

In today’s article, we’ll take a closer look at what you should know about introverts, what their needs are, and what managers should do to provide them with the necessary support at work.

What does it mean to be introverted

What does it mean to be introverted?

The first and probably most important thing that needs to be pointed out is that being introverted is by no means a deviation from the so-called norm. Every person out there is born with a temperament—a specific way they get energized and how that shapes their interaction with their surroundings. Extroversion and introversion are both innate temperaments that are predetermined by our genes. Basically, we’re all born with them.

Introverts typically prefer environments that aren’t too stimulating. The main reason behind this choice is that people with this temperament often find social events taxing and need some time alone to restore their energy levels. This behavior pattern is primarily due to introverts’ peculiar brain chemistry—specifically the way their brains respond to dopamine. Simply put, introverts are much more sensitive to this feel-good hormone, whereas extroverts can’t get enough of it. As a result, the former need to isolate for a bit after being zapped with a cocktail of hormones they have a low tolerance to. This is where the most common misconception about people with this temperament stems from—they’re generally considered shy, aloof, and even arrogant.

Dispelling common myths

Dispelling common myths

The misunderstanding of how introverts function in society has sprung a variety of myths about them. They’re often seen as arrogant, disinterested, and even stuck up. However, it’s safe to assume that very few introverts would agree with these descriptions.

They’re socially awkward

Introverts function very well in social settings and don’t really find it complicated to interact with people. In fact, according to a 2016 study, most US-based lawyers are introverted.

Plus, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Individual Differences suggests that extroverts and introverts a near-equal amount of time alone and socializing. More importantly, the same paper indicates that introverts experience the same bump in happiness during social interactions as extroverts do.

For introverts, social interactions are something they must balance continuously, and it would be unfair to say that they prefer solitude over communication. Too much solitude can leave them feeling insecure, while excessive exposure can make them feel overstimulated and tired. However, this shouldn’t be treated as a need to take a break from people. Instead, it’s a respite from stimulation.

They’re kind of arrogant

Social interactions are fairly taxing for introverts, which often dissuades them from engaging in casual cooler chatter—and this shouldn’t be interpreted as disinterest on their part. For them, social interactions need to be meaningful.

They’re rude

Given how sensitive introverts are to the dopamine triggered by social interactions, they may sometimes refuse to communicate with people, especially when they need to “cool off.” Rather than being offended by this need, it’s always best to give introverts some extra space. They’ll be much happier to chat when they recharge their social batteries.

Introverts are depressed and anxious

This is probably one of the most common misconceptions about introverts. However, that is not to say that it’s entirely false. To dispel this myth, we need to get into semantics for a bit.

In psychology, there’s a strong connection between extroversion and happiness. There’s an extensive body of research that suggests that people that are extroverted are less likely to be depressed. On the other hand, there’s plenty of research that suggests that people act in an outgoing and energetic manner when they are happy or feel good.

But there’s an important difference that needs to be pointed out—being introverted does not by default make you depressed or anxious. It’s critical that we distinguish between how people are and how people act.

The unfortunate part is that introverts sometimes lose control over isolation and tend to withdraw from their social circles for too long, indeed making them sadder and more disconnected.

How to work with introverts

How to work with introverts

Taking employee temperaments into account is an often overlooked facet of management in the modern workplace, and introverts are the ones who suffer most from this. While being thoughtful of their colleagues’ introversion or extroversion isn’t necessarily a manager’s obligation, it’s safe to say that everyone would benefit from a more mindful approach.

Failing to adjust to individual requirements can make some people feel misplaced and disregarded, making their life at work less and less comfortable.

On the other hand, making the necessary adjustments to accommodate introverted employees will only enable them to be more productive, accountable, and happy at work.

1. Tailor your interactions

A thoughtful manager should pay close attention to the temperaments and personalities of the people in their team. Introverts can often get overshadowed in social settings by their more extroverted peers, and it should be taken into account at all times. Interrupt an introvert a few times, and they’ll feel sidelined and will most likely be dissuaded from being part of the conversation in team meetings.

The transition to the work-from-home model has only underlined the importance of proper “temperament-conscious” management. Leaders can leverage a variety of tools to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard. A good example is the hand-raising feature available in most video conferencing tools. Plus, it’s always a good idea to wait a few seconds after a person has finished speaking to make sure that nobody gets cut off.

Another opportunity managers can explore is asynchronous communication. Introverted people or people with social anxiety will greatly appreciate the choice not to join non-essential calls and provide their input for the team’s daily standups via email.

2. Respect space

If your company has gone back to an office setting, this is a good opportunity to rethink how people use the space. Needless to say, open-space environments can be quite tiring for introverts, and having a dedicated “recharging” area where they can spend some time alone and in quiet would be extremely beneficial.

A few minutes of silence can go a long way for an introverted person and, to be extremely pragmatic, it would make them much more efficient, and it would be totally worth the investment.

Furthermore, introverts are known to be fairly independent. Therefore, making some small changes to your workspace that would allow them to function well will greatly impact their satisfaction and inspiration.

Be an ally

3. Be an ally

By now, we’ve established that introverted people tend to differ from extroverts in regards to how they feel about social interaction. Unfortunately, these differences can significantly impact their success at work. They often aren’t as fond of self-promotion, even if they have an excellent skill set and a wide array of relevant expertise. Typically, they prefer their work to do the talking, but that can often impede their growth within an organization.

That, however, does not mean that managers should speak for them or protect them in a patronizing manner. Instead, they should seek to allot them the time and provide them with the right conditions to express themselves.

Something that most introverts will find helpful is preventing interruptions. Being able to speak freely without being constantly cut off will allow them to flourish and provide valuable feedback. Another extremely useful thing to do is to gently encourage introverts to partake in conversations and reward them for doing so.

Some introverts feel uncomfortable being in the spotlight since too much attention to their person can be quite taxing to them. Unless interacting with large groups of people is their actual responsibility, it’s best not to force them to do so.

4. Provide opportunities to lead

Today’s work environment strongly favors extroverted people for some of their innate qualities—they’re outgoing and charismatic, they have awesome social skills, and they can get a crowd’s attention. While these characteristics are excellent for a person in a leadership position, that is not to say that people that don’t possess them aren’t suited for one.

In fact, introverts make great leaders as well, since they often have excellent listening abilities, they’re less competitive, and they very rarely engage in corporate politics. These qualities combined make a manager that is less interested in proving a point and is instead focused on achieving the greater good for the people in their team and the organization as a whole.

By providing introverts with the opportunity to lead, you can leverage the qualities that come with their temperament, along with their individual attributes.

Give time to think, plan, and prepare

5. Give time to think, plan, and prepare

A team and company will at some point experience a significant problem that demands a quick and well-thought-out solution. While there’s no ground to assume that there’s a difference in the quality of reasoning between introverts and extroverts, the former typically have more time to analyze all the ins and outs of the situation.

The same applies to meetings where important decisions are made—introverts often find it complicated to find solutions on the spot, so giving them a heads-up and expanding on the agenda of a meeting will help them generate better ideas.

Emergencies are just a part of life—both people and businesses can’t eliminate them entirely, but by giving introverts some extra time to think and prepare, you’re increasing your chances of addressing pressing issues in an adequate manner.

And I know what you might be thinking, “we can’t always afford to give certain people an extra day to ponder over extremely time-sensitive issues”—and that’s a fair point. But would you rather go with a half-baked solution or one that stems from a more analytical and calculated approach?

6. Be thoughtful about engaging them

Unfortunately, a lot of the things that engage extroverts could have a reverse effect on introverts. For instance, most extroverts would probably be happy to hear a peer or manager publicly show their appreciation for the work they’ve done. Introverts—not so much.

If you’d like to articulate the value that an introvert has brought through their work, consider sending them a personal and thoughtful email. Forcing them into social interaction with lots of people involved won’t necessarily make them unhappy, but there’s a possibility that it might intimidate them, so it’s probably a good idea to avoid doing so, especially if they’re relatively new to the team or their position.

The same applies to receiving feedback from them. As we mentioned above, introverts may not be the most vocal in a meeting. Still, if approached individually, you’ll most certainly get their well-thought-out opinion on the subject matter.

As a manager, you may also consider offering your help with social interactions. For instance, if your introverted colleague needs to deliver a presentation, feel free to offer to do it for them. Once they see that their work was received well, they may find it more comfortable with doing it personally the next time.

7. Don’t be harsh

Unfortunately, most introverts are their worst critics. Add some harsh criticism from a peer or manager, and that’s a recipe for a ruined day or week. One of the best qualities introverted people possess is active listening. Being too straightforward with them isn’t necessary and pretty much unproductive. If you’re looking to provide them with suggestions regarding their work or performance, do so in a one-on-one meeting and make sure to deliver the information thoughtfully. Approaching this task with patience is key.

More importantly, introverts tend to extensively analyze their interactions. Discussing pressing issues in a calm and honest manner will only provide them with more opportunities to find the solution to the problem at hand.

It’s important to take this into account when training and retraining introverts. They can sometimes need more time to process large amounts of information due to their analytical mindset. They often need some extra time to understand all the details, peculiarities, and responsibility spectrum of their role.

And, last but not least, be prepared to answer lots of questions.

Reward them the right way

8. Reward them the right way

Introverts often dismiss public praise for the work they do. They appreciate it, but these things can draw more attention to their person than they’d like it to.

However, that doesn’t mean that we should just let their achievements go under the radar. As a manager, it’s important to understand how introverts prefer to be rewarded for the work they do. After all, all people need to hear good things about their efforts in order to stay motivated and accountable; and introverts are no exception. They need appreciation, just not the attention.

Ensuring that everyone on your team has their temperaments and differences taken into account will invariably help the entire crew grow into their roles, be happier and more productive.

It’s also important to underline that these principles aren’t meant for management only. Everyone on the team should take the time to understand their peers and how they can optimize their communication with them to ensure that everyone is satisfied and comfortable.

The bottom line

Managing a team of people with different temperaments can be challenging. However, with the right amount of insight and mindfulness, leaders can significantly improve the communication within their team, as well as increase their individual productivity and satisfaction at work.

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A Quick Guide to Identifying and Curing Workaholism

How to cure workaholism

The term “workaholic” is frequently misused nowadays. Simply clocking in a 50-hour workweek doesn’t qualify you as one. In fact, the problem is much more nuanced.

Often people need to work for one reason or another—debt, goals, dreams, and aspirations. Workaholism is less of a choice and more of compulsion, stemming from a wide array of psychological and neurochemical factors.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what it means to be a workaholic, what you should do about it, and how you can help your peers that suffer from it.

Let’s dive right in.

The signs of workaholism

The signs of workaholism

As we mentioned previously, working hard isn’t precisely what workaholism is. Instead, it’s a more pathological and unhealthy relationship with work. People who suffer from it often appear uneasy, impatient, and fidgety while living their life outside work. They typically find it hard to organize their life or even think about doing so. Another common problem they face is an unhealthy disregard for their quality of life and their relationships with friends and family.

That said, workaholics are not by default good at what they do. Because they tend to work long hours, very rarely choose to delegate work, and expend high amounts of effort, they aren’t necessarily as productive as one may assume. This professional perfectionism often makes them fairly inefficient.

While this phenomenon isn’t exactly well-defined in modern psychology, there are a few parameters that are universally agreed upon—the signs and symptoms of a workaholic.

Below, you’ll find six questions that will help you understand whether you have an inclination towards workaholism:

  1. Do you consider work to be the most important thing in your life?
  2. Does your mood improve at first once you start working?
  3. Do you feel like you work longer hours or achieve more to be satisfied?
  4. Do you feel uneasy or fidgety when you’re not working?
  5. Do you debate with yourself or people close to you about whether you are working too much?
  6. Have you ever tried working less but failed to do so?

Psychologists still debate over whether workaholism is an actual addiction. What is for sure is that it’s an unhealthy and compulsive behavior. If you happen to answer “Yes” to most of the questions above, it’s fair to assume that you may be suffering from a form of workaholism.

Work engagement vs. work obsession

Work engagement vs. work obsession

Being really passionate about work isn’t necessarily a sign of workaholism. It’s important to differentiate between people that are engaged with their work and those that are addicted to it—the two are very different behaviors.

Interestingly, in order to differentiate between the two, we have to direct our attention to the things that surround work. Both work engaged and addicted people can be equally productive. The difference is how their work impacts their quality of life. Simply put, workaholics suffer from a compulsory need to work. They aren’t necessarily driven by a healthy passion for what they do.

The modern-day conversation about workaholism is in an uncanny spot. On the one hand, this condition has been significantly watered down over the last few decades, in part due to the misuse of the term “workaholic” along with a wide array of other factors. As a result, this kind of blurred the line between healthy work engagement and an obsessive and destructive desire to work. On the other hand, research dating back to 1996 suggests that approximately one in four people show signs of workaholism. Both of these perspectives make talking about workaholism pretty complicated.

But there’s more: unfortunately, there’s no unified definition of what workaholism is from an academic standpoint. You may be thinking, “Okay, so how do I identify workaholism in myself or the people around me?”. The answer always goes back to observing their quality of life, the quality of their relationships with the people around them, and how their work deteriorates the two.

There are quite a few psychological tests one can take to identify a potential work addiction. Unfortunately, workaholics are often inclined to brush off the idea of taking one for a variety of reasons. However, if you feel like you might be suffering from this condition or you’re able to convince a potential workaholic to take one, you’ll find a variety of such tests in one of the sections below.

Symptoms of workaholism

Common symptoms of workaholism

There are a few common things that could help you identify work addiction in yourself and the people around you. Typically, these symptoms are the result of the inability to stop working—burnout, anxiety, depression, and a whole host of mental health issues.

There are different groups that are especially prone to this addiction, but the ones that stand out are people suffering from perfectionism and impostor syndrome. These issues often cause them to work very long hours until the point where their jobs are the center of their attention, and also the thing that causes them to lose sleep, both of which can result in a wide array of harmful consequences like irritability, guilt, and a sense of dread.

Tests and quizzes to identify work addiction

Tests and quizzes to identify work addiction

Please bear in mind that taking these tests on your own should not be treated as a definitive assessment. Ideally, they should be analyzed by and taken with a trained specialist. More importantly, some of these tests feature measures that lack a solid theoretical foundation and are still debated among professionals. Treat these as a personal assessment of your wellbeing and under no circumstances use them to confirm or disconfirm work addiction.

The work addiction risk test (WART)

The WART test is created around the typical symptoms that workaholics experience. This is a very straightforward, 25-item test that is based on the Likert scale (ranges from 1 to 4, where 1 is never true and 4 is always true).

The WART test revolves around the following factors:

  • Compulsive tendencies
  • Control
  • Self-absorption
  • Inability to delegate
  • Self-worth

The Bergen work addiction scale (BWAS)

The Bergen Work Addiction Scale (BWAS) is a more recent addition and measures workaholism as an addiction. Grounded in general addiction theory, the BWAS includes seven items worded in line with diagnostic addiction criteria, scored on a 5-point Likert scale based on how often symptoms have occurred in the last year.

  1. Salience (“Thought of how you could free more time to work”)
  2. Mood modification (“Worked in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness, and/or depression”)
  3. Conflict (“Down-prioritized hobbies, leisure, activities, and/or exercise because of your job”)
  4. Withdrawal (“Became stressed if you have been prohibited from working”)
  5. Tolerance (“Spent much more time working than initially intended”)
  6. Relapse (“Experienced that others have told you to cut down on work without listening to them”)
  7. Problems (“Worked so much that it has negatively influenced your health”)

Scoring “often” or “always” on four out of seven components indicates workaholism.

Preventing workaholism

Preventing workaholism

There are multiple levels of work addiction prevention. In academia, they’re called primary, secondary, and tertiary.

Primary prevention focuses on reducing the risk of workaholism among people that aren’t suffering from this condition. Secondary prevention focuses specifically on people that are at risk of developing this addiction, while tertiary prevention revolves around minimizing its effects where possible. Let’s take a look at the first two.

Primary prevention

Primary prevention is necessary for work environments that glorify and even reward burnouts and a poor work-to-life balance. Often when organizations acknowledge behaviors that are conducive to workaholism, people are at risk of falling into this unhealthy rabbit hole.

The people that accept to be overworked are often rewarded with raises, praise, promotions, and positive attention, which contributes to the development of problematic patterns. For instance, employees that are susceptible to workaholism may at a certain point correlate the amount of work they do with their self-worth.

Of course, ideally, we should all be able to identify the development of these harmful patterns, but, unfortunately, not everyone will be able to. The primary responsibility for preventing work addiction falls on the shoulders of employers.

Instead of glorifying so-called “hard work” and achieving business goals, whatever the cost, organizations should be the ones reminding their employees about the importance of a good work-to-life balance by dissuading their workers from working beyond their regular hours or weekdays. Some research suggests that having the direct support of your leaders and managers in maintaining a reasonable work-to-life balance is helpful in preventing burnouts and correlated to higher engagement at work.

Fundamentally, to have a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce, companies should abstain from working them into the ground.

Secondary prevention

As we mentioned previously, secondary prevention aims to help people that are at risk of developing work addiction. Academic literature suggests that there’s a set of positive and often admirable personality traits that can contribute to people developing an unhealthy relationship with their work—conscientiousness, orderliness, need for achievement, etc. The unfortunate part is that many of these traits are desirable when it comes to being successful in your workplace—these are things people look for in new hires, especially for people in managerial positions.

The responsibility to prevent employees from developing this addiction also falls on organizations. A very effective way of assisting people in combating an unhealthy relationship with work is running training programs.

Workaholics tend to take on more work than they can normally handle and constantly accept tasks before they’ve completed the ones that are still in progress. To counteract addictive behaviors, organizations should look into running training programs that would help their employees manage their time and stress better. This would allow them to have realistic expectations from themselves and efficiently prioritize work.

It’s also essential that employees receive training in personal effectiveness and assertiveness that would encourage them to refuse to take on more work than they can realistically handle.

People at risk of developing work addiction should also be encouraged to decompress after a hard day at work and recover after it. Failing to do so will only continuously drain their resources, which will, as a result, lead to burnout, anxiety, depression, and other harmful symptoms of workaholism.

How to overcome work addiction

How to overcome work addiction

Earlier, we mentioned that there’s no single universally agreed-upon definition of workaholism. There is also no single surefire treatment for it. Fortunately, there are quite a few options to choose from—all with varying degrees of efficiency.

1. Workaholics anonymous

Workaholics Anonymous (also known as WA) was founded back in 1983, and its practices are based on the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) framework. This organization treats workaholism as a disease. Like, AA, WA developed their own 12-step program and hosts group support meetings throughout the United States.

When entering the WA 12-step program, a person takes on a series of commitments, like sleeping at least eight hours every night and not working for more than 45 hours a week. These programs also offer support in case of relapse.

2. Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)

REBT is a type of therapy that aims to tackle irrational beliefs and substitute unhealthy and compulsive terminology (e.g., I must, I have to) and leverages role-play and pleasant imagery to mitigate unpleasant and triggering situations and emotions. As a result, it allows people to become more aware of how they feel and improve their ability to get through stressful situations more effectively.

Workaholics typically have a series of irrational beliefs regarding their performance demands, their coworkers’ approval, failure in the workplace, and control—issues that REBT allows to address consistently.

3. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

CBT is a well-established and very effective type of therapy that addresses a person’s behavioral addictions and has been proven to help workaholics tackle a variety of unhealthy behaviors like:

  • Distorted and automatic thoughts (“They’ll find out that I’m an idiot when they find those mistakes.”)
  • Compulsory semantics and rigid terminology that revolves around “having” to do something at work (“I have to do the work myself otherwise it won’t get done right.”)
  • Distorted beliefs about a person’s self-worth and fear of failure (“I can only prove my worth by working hard.”)

4. Motivational interviewing

Motivational interviewing is a type of therapy that revolves around the assumption that people typically go through a series of changes: pre-contemplation (being unaware of the problem), contemplation (becoming aware of the problem), preparation (outlining a plan for addressing the problem), action (addressing the problem), maintenance (changing behavior to resolve the problem), relapse (reoccurrence of the problem).

This method of counseling helps people create a detailed outline of their goals, as well as a plan of action that will prescribe how they will be changing their behavior.

This type of therapy is especially relevant for work addicts that are mindful of the problem they’re experiencing and are seeking help.

Family therapy

5. Family therapy

Family therapy is a very effective way of addressing workaholism by helping them understand the harmful effects their addiction has on their family members and their social circle. Similarly, this practice helps surface the sources or triggers that stimulate unhealthy work habits and encourage the creation of a support network to enable work addicts to develop new behaviors and a less harmful outlook on work.

6. Meditation awareness training

Meditation awareness training (MAT) is a technique that allows workaholics to adopt a more mindful approach towards their work and establish a reasonable distance between themselves and their work-related urges. It’s extremely efficient at developing self-compassion, which allows workaholics to efficiently address addictive behaviors.

Aside from helping people regain control of their lives and establish a reasonable work-to-life balance, MAT also allows people to engage with their work more, increase work satisfaction and even productivity.

In conclusion

Workaholism is an often misrepresented issue. Despite not being a very well-understood condition, it does affect a huge amount of modern-day workers. More importantly, the problem will probably get worse unless companies take the necessary steps to ensure that their employees don’t work in environments that will lead them towards this addiction.

If you feel like you’re developing symptoms specific to workaholism, it’s always a good idea to talk to a professional and enroll in therapy.

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The Value of Communication in Team Decision-Making

Communication and team decision making

To most of us, understanding the inner workings of decision-making may appear like a complicated task. How do you even do that with a process that’s so hard to measure or express in hard numbers? How do we know that we’ve made the right decision at the right time? Well, we can’t, just because there are so many things that can affect the outcome of a problem—organizational structure, past experiences, cognitive biases, and so forth.

However, that is not to say that there aren’t ways to confidently improve the quality of a team’s decisions. On the contrary, according to research, the path to better decision-making lies through effective communication. And this is precisely what this blog post is all about.

Let’s dive right in, shall we?

What is decision-making

What is decision-making?

The process of decision-making has been extensively studied by a wide array of disciplines, ranging from mathematics and sociology to psychology, economics, and beyond. Philosophers try to understand what our decisions say about us. Historians scrutinize how leaders choose to act in moments of pressure. Organizational behavior attempts to understand what people within a company can do to achieve better outcomes.

As employees, we make dozens and even hundreds of conscious and unconscious decisions on a daily basis that have a massive effect on a company’s success and overall performance.

There’s also great diversity in terms of the types of decisions we make. On the one hand, we can categorize decisions based on the effects they have in an organization—they can be strategic, tactical, and operational. The first are the ones that set the course of a company. The second has to do with how things will be done. The third are the ones that employees make to keep the organization running.

On the other hand, we can think of types of choices based on the way they are made. Some people like to follow their gut, which pretty much relies on intuition to guide them through a complicated situation. In contrast, others choose a more analytical, thoughtful style of business communication and decision-making.

And it’s fair to say that both have their merits and shortcomings. When people follow a more intuitive path, they often fall prey to cognitive biases, logical fallacies, and so forth. However, an analytical and calculated style may not at all times be applicable, especially when people find themselves in situations with no precedent—this is where leaders should follow their gut and make choices that “appear” right.

The point of this post, however, isn’t to defend or attack any particular type of decision-making. Instead, we’re interested in bringing the people that surround a leader to the front and underlining the value of effective team communication while deciding upon important outcomes as a collective.

And to make a stronger point, we’ve got some research to back it up.

What does research have to say

What does research have to say?

Dan Lovallo and Olivier Sibony are behavioral economists who have conducted a five-year study that documented and analyzed 1,048 business decisions and how they affected the organization’s revenue, profit, and market share. The main idea behind the study was to understand how people approach making complicated business-related decisions and surface the kinds of biases managers are most susceptible to.

More importantly, this study didn’t take into account minute issues like the line of stationery a company should buy—these choices revolved around critical problems such as whether a company should expand into a new country, make changes to the organizational structure, or release and develop a new product or service. The study also thoroughly analyzed the outcomes of this decision and how they impacted ROI, profit, and a variety of other essential parameters.

The researchers also tried to understand how managers made important decisions and what the process was like.

A few questions they asked the participants of the study were:

  • Did managers consider more than one viewpoint?
  • Were managers open about the things they were uncertain about or the things they did not know?
  • Did they request the participation of people that had opposing viewpoints on the course of action or outcomes?
  • Were they open-minded about seeing evidence that contradicted their standpoints?

The findings

The study found that while a more analytical and data-oriented approach is always useful, having a well-optimized decision-making process typically yields far better business choices. Basically, high-quality data and experienced leaders are an awesome combo. Still, it’s not enough if the decision-maker didn’t challenge their biases and hear a broader spectrum of opinions that differed from that of their own.

Bias seems to be a severe problem that harms the quality of a business’s decisions. The main reason is that having access to a diverse set of opinions will allow a team to surface low-quality analysis. The reverse, however, is not true. The highest-quality analysis is pretty much useless if differing opinions aren’t given a chance. Fundamentally, as a manager, if you refuse opinions that are different from your own, you’re creating an echo chamber that will most likely harm your organization in the long run.

And most likely, there’s no way to overcome the tendency to jump to narrow or reactive conclusions without consulting a broader group of specialists. This is typically the best way to overcome the so-called “recency bias” that often lures managers and decision-makers into putting a stronger emphasis on recent events and losing sight of the big picture.

It’s safe to say that mere openness to hearing differing opinions isn’t enough. Managers should seek to have their opinions or decisions challenged by asking a variety of questions that will aim to disconfirm their standpoint like:

  • What could go wrong if we do this?
  • What is the biggest potential obstacle you can see in the solution we have proposed?
  • If you follow my proposed approach, what might happen that we haven’t thought about?
  • What haven’t we considered? What are we missing by taking this approach?
  • If we follow this plan, what problems might arise?

Improving your team’s decision making

Improving your team’s decision making

We recognize that saying “just hear differing opinions” might be a slightly simplistic strategy when it comes to making critical decisions that have a massive impact on an organization and its bottom line. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of how managers can counteract echo chambers and open up to better choices.

Focus on the problem first

Superior communication and team decision-making starts with proper framing of the issue at hand. Often, the way a problem is presented to a team happens to be presented in a way that boxes people into a small number of solutions.

Research suggests that nearly three-quarters of the time, management teams only explore one alternative before making a decision while having more than one would dramatically improve the outcomes.

Normalize disagreement

As social animals, we’re inclined towards agreeing with what our peers or superiors say. This bias is often very harmful to the quality of the decisions made in an organization. It’s essential to normalize critical thinking and active participation in conversations for professionals of all seniority levels.

Back in 2011, Larry Page returned to his CEO position at Google, and one of the things that he intended to change as soon as possible is the so-called “consensus culture” and, as a result, boosting the efficiency of decision making. An important part of this strategy was to ensure that every meeting has to have both a decision to be made and a designated decision-maker; otherwise, the meeting shouldn’t happen at all.

The reasoning behind this is rooted in the idea that overarching agreement typically makes things rather slow. While taking more time to make a decision does provide you with a more analytical and in-depth view of the problem, it also opens you up to missing opportunities, especially in fast-paced environments.

Therefore, the best way to approach complicated business decisions is opening up to a broad spectrum of opinions, assessing the benefits and downsides of each, and doing so reasonably quickly.

Tools for group decision-making

Tools for group decision-making

Using a framework or model for decision-making can help your team reach an informed, actionable decision while avoiding some common obstacles.

The ladder of inference

As we mentioned previously, removing bias from decision-making is absolutely essential, and it’s much easier to do this when you have a framework available. A great tool that will help you achieve better group reasoning is the ladder of inference. This method allows you to structure problem-solving in a sequence of steps that range from receiving data to drawing conclusions. Here’s a brief breakdown of the process:

  • All the participants of the meeting should analyze the problem through the data that is available to them, both qualitative and quantitative.
  • Each person should identify data points that they find important or that simply grab their attention and, for the time being, ignore everything else.
  • All the participants should aim to interpret the data that caught their attention.
  • As a result, you’re able to draw conclusions that step from these interpretations.

This is an excellent framework that will both reduce the amount of bias the decision-maker is exposed to, as well as help them gain access to a broader range of opinions.

The nominal group technique

An excellent tool for including all the team members in the process of decision-making is the nominal group technique. It’s a brainstorming method that enables all the people in a collective to participate in problem-solving and express their opinion on the importance or validity of particular solutions.

Basically, all the participants of the meeting should come up with a solution to a problem that needs to be addressed. All the decisions are then voiced, discussed, and voted on. It’s important to mention that you can always tailor and adjust this technique to suit your needs.

The RAPID model

The RAPID model enables teams to distribute ownership over different facets of the decision-making process. There are five roles assigned to different employees:

  • Recommend
  • Agree
  • Perform
  • Input
  • Decide

The bottom line

Good decision-making lies at the heart of a business’s success. While managers are responsible for the decision they make as a leader of a team or department, that doesn’t mean that they have to disregard their colleagues’ input. Being afraid of hearing opposing opinions will only hurt the organization’s bottom line in the long run and prevent them from making good choices.

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What Is Free Float in Project Management? Everything You Need to Know

Free Float in Project Management

Float is a useful metric for project managers to effectively look after projects and juggle tasks without causing delays to the overall project. Unfortunately, delays are a part of life and even the most considered plans can experience unexpected issues. A good project manager will be able to manage any delays and keep projects progressing smoothly, this is where understanding “float” comes in handy.

There are two main types of float that project managers need to be aware of: total float and free float. Total float is more commonly referenced than free float by project managers. It is the total amount of time any task can be delayed without impacting the delivery date of the project.

Free float, on the other hand, is the amount of time a task can take before it impacts the next task of the project. In this article, we’re going to look in-depth at what is a free float in project management.

Understand Free Float

Why You Need to Understand Free Float

Sometimes referred to as “slack,” understanding how much allowance you have in the float makes managing delays much easier. It’s good to share this information with your team or outside contractors so they are aware of the time constraints they must adhere to. You will be able to offer soft and hard deadlines which can help to ensure your project stays on schedule.

Knowledge of free and total float can also help with resource allocation and scheduling. There will be room to redistribute resources as needed within the limits of the float. By approaching projects with more flexibility you can avoid putting your staff under the pressure of crunch.

Work Out the Free Float in Project Management

How Do You Work Out the Free Float in Project Management?

Now that you understand free float meaning in project management, how do you work it out for your tasks? Firstly, you’ll need to work out what the critical path for your project is. These are the tasks that have to happen, in order, to deliver the project to the stakeholders on time.

Alongside the critical path, you should identify the non-critical tasks that belong to the project. Depending on the complexity of your project there may be more than one critical path and overlap between tasks.

To calculate the free float for your non-critical tasks, there’s a simple equation you need to do. All you need to do is workout out the earliest finish date and subtract it from the earliest start date. This is your free float, the amount of time you have to play with before a project will be delayed.

Earliest finish – earliest start = free float.

How to Implement Free Float In Project Management

How to Implement Free Float In Project Management

Understanding your free float availability is beneficial to project managers no matter what project management framework you are following. Whether it’s PMP or Agile, free float helps to inform your project parameters and is something that should be shared with your team.

If you’re running Agile sprints for your project, you’ll be splitting projects into 2-week sections with hard deadlines. However, free float will let your team members know how long they can delay a certain task before it impacts the work their colleagues are doing. This can help to manage stress and allow people the time to ensure their work is perfect.

Unfortunately, there will not be any free float allotted to the critical path tasks, which means contractors and employees will need to prioritize the work on these. It’s the non-critical tasks that offer the flexibility of free float. As long as the critical tasks are being worked on according to the schedule, there is less stress for the non-critical tasks that need to be completed before the project deadline.

If you use things like Kanban boards, Waterfall, or Gantt charts you’ll be able to easily monitor the progress of your projects. Project managers can refer to these to be able to know exactly what state the project is in. For example, if a team member comes to you and reveals they need more time on a certain task, you’ll look at the Gantt charts and know exactly how much slack they have before there will be delays.

What’s the Difference Between Total Float and Free Float?

Free float is only really relevant when you’re dealing with the non-critical aspects of the project. By design, these tasks have more flexibility to them and are secondary to the tasks in the critical, although they still need to be completed before the due date.

Total float works the same way as free float but is about the overall project start and finish date. If you need more time to work on something along the critical path, you’ll need to look at the total float as there won’t be any free float.

Critical and near-critical tasks are typically dependent on each other. Team members won’t be able to start on the next task until the first task has been completed. Therefore, there usually isn’t a lot of slack offered with the critical path. However, if more time is needed, project managers will need to look at the total float to work out how to proceed without delaying the project due date.

Conclusion

Free float is the term used for how much slack there is around non-critical tasks. The available float reveals how much time the team has available to complete a task before the project will be delayed.

It’s useful to work this out at the start of the project to allow the team to stay agile and offer some flexibility when it’s needed. Free float is worked out on a task-by-task basis and helps teams to avoid delays to the start date of the next task.

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The Definitive Guide on Administrative Process Improvement For Every Business

Administrative Process Improvement

Do you have admin tasks casting a cloud over your business? You know they need to get done but the motivation to start on these repetitive and bulky tasks is nowhere to be found. It’s a problem that’s plagued businesses since the first person decided to set up shop.

If your business is profitable enough you can hire an in-house team to work on these, freeing you to focus on bigger picture stuff. However, there is still bound to be wasted time and resources and it’s a good idea to review your processes to make sure they’re 100% efficient.

In this article, we’re going to give you the tools you need to take a good hard look at how administrative process improvement works. You’ll be able to identify inefficiencies and implement new ideas to help your team and business continue to thrive.

Benefits of Updating Your Admin Processes

7 Benefits of Updating Your Admin Processes

Let’s take a look at the benefits of reviewing and updating your processes before we discuss admin improvement ideas. Every business should inspect how its operations are being run, no matter the size. There will always be areas of improvement and staying on top of things is key to consistent growth.

Staff may try and push back on changes, particularly if they perceive tasks to be more complex than the previous method. Help them to understand how these changes can improve productivity and help keep the business competitive.

Here are 7 benefits that the business gains from administrative process improvement:

  1. Standardized process: As the business grows there will be a need to develop standardized processes which all staff can follow. A review of business operations can help business leaders to certify the correct way of doing things.
  2. Automate where possible: As new technology emerges and employee skills grow, new automation options become available. If you can automate rudimentary tasks, this gives employees more time to work on business growth opportunities.
  3. Eliminate waste: Waste can be anything from time, resources, or communication. Admin processes that aren’t refined are likely to include a lot of waste which can be removed with new processes implemented.
  4. Up to date information: Take the opportunity to ensure that all the information in your business is up to date. If employees are working with outdated instructions this can be causing major interruptions to your operation.
  5. Continuous improvement: Improving your administrative processes should form part of your business’s commitment to continuous improvement. Ensure your company remains ahead of the competition by always striving for better.
  6. Frees up resources: Once you’ve identified inefficiencies in your processes, the resources being wasted can be redistributed in a way that benefits the business’s goals.
  7. Review every year: As part of your commitment to continuous improvement, you should review the processes each year. This helps to uncover new inefficiencies and takes advantage of new technology.

Once you have established the baseline for all of your administrative processes, you can use this as a reference for the next time a review takes place. The job will never be completed because there will always be ways to implement new admin improvement ideas.

Admin Improvement Ideas

Admin Improvement Ideas That Work

Whether you are a solopreneur or in charge of a team at an enterprise business, cutting the fat out of the business processes has likely crossed your mind more than once. In order to make effective changes, you’ll need to implement ideas that are proven to work and can deliver the necessary results.

Change Management

The first thing that needs to happen is a way to monitor and implement change management. This is something that needs to work for managers and their employees.

Your processes may currently exist as undocumented generalized theories that everyone vaguely understands. We need to make sure that they are identified and documented in a way that is easy to follow. At this point, you should include all the information around a process including any waste or inefficiencies.

Document information regarding how long a task should take, how many people are involved, and the number of entry and exit points it has. If there are bottleneck areas, make note of these as this is something that will need to be addressed when developing new admin improvement ideas.

At this stage of change, the goal is to establish the current baseline for your processes. If you are unsure of the details personally, make sure to include your staff in drawing up the current process outline.

Process Mapping

Process mapping is a useful visualization tool that can be used for a wide range of industries. The benefit of using something like the Makigami Processes Map is that the data is very easy to read and it’s an easy way to get contributions from your staff.

You will log your processes from start to finish and gain a hard copy of how everything in your operation works. During the process mapping phase, you’ll start to uncover where the inefficiencies lie in your business. At this point, members of staff will be able to share their ideas for areas of improvement.

Although it won’t be time to implement changes, it is a great place to start collecting ideas from the people who will benefit from the changes the most. Communicate to your team the data that has been uncovered through process mapping. This helps to keep team members aware of how their activities affect business productivity.

Delegation

Unless you are a one-person operation, delegation is going to be your best friend. Who is going to be responsible for reviewing and updating each process? Depending on the task, it can be quite time-consuming and there may not be enough hours available for one person to take ownership of them all.

The key is to refine your administrative processes so that they save you time and money. Put your best person on the job, someone you can trust to consider different approaches to problem-solving.

There will also be an opportunity to crowdsource ideas at this point by giving your employees the chance to speak their thoughts. Those who have been doing the admin tasks will be able to pinpoint what causes them headaches and areas which should be improved.

New Technologies

New Technologies

New technologies are being released to the market all the time and some may be well worth the cost investment to improve your processes. If you want to automate some of the more repetitive tasks this may come at an additional expense to the bottom line. However, if it improves productivity and frees up resources elsewhere, the trade-off could be worth it.

Your tech stack (the hardware and software you use) is going to have a great effect on your administrative process improvement. Companies rely heavily on their technologies to stay modern and competitive. It’s worth looking at your current stack to make sure you’re using the best products available.

Teamly is an all-in-one tool for project management that can save your business time and money. It gives you all the tools you need to effectively manage your team remotely. This gives you greater flexibility and control over your projects and processes.

Outsource Certain Tasks

Consider whether you should outsource certain tasks that your company can’t handle as effectively as you would like. If you work by yourself or only have a small team at the moment, there may not be the people resources available to work on certain administrative tasks.

In these instances, it may be worth contacting an outside company or virtual assistant to help you. Outsourcing can be highly cost-effective and you’ll have access to skilled professionals without the need to hire internally or invest in additional training.

Conclusion

Admin is at the heart of every business but it’s not always the work we want to be doing. By taking the time to look at administrative process improvement, leaders can identify ways to make admin tasks easier to complete.

Whether you decide to outsource some tasks or start using new technologies, reviewing your admin processes is an important part of continuous improvement. A business should always strive to be more productive and deliver better results for its clients and customers.

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How to Handle Criticism at Work Like a Professional

How to Handle Criticism at Work

Do you look forward to football season like a lot of people do?

There’s nothing quite like a lazy Sunday afternoon, where everyone is sitting in a cozy armchair or lounging on the couch with a beer in hand, and there’s a half-eaten pizza on the table.

Between gossiping about friends and chatting about the news, everyone offers their critique of the game.

“Can you believe he missed that field goal at 36 yards! They’re throwing points away!” and “How did the quarterback not see that receiver? He was wide open!”

As a general rule, it’s really, really easy to offer criticism.

Receiving it, however, is another story.

It’s crushing to be called out by a manager for being over budget, or to get dinged on a performance review. Your gut reaction is to lash out and blame someone else, or curl up inside yourself like a turtle.

It’s sheer fantasy to think that by staying on top of our game, we can avoid criticism. It’s everywhere. No one escapes it.

The secret, really, is knowing how to navigate it. There’s a craft to handling criticism at work, and knowing what criticism to accept and what to deflect. Let’s look into it.

Responding to Criticism in the Moment

Responding to Criticism in the Moment

Sometimes criticism comes completely out of the blue. You get to work (late, for the third time that week), and right off the bat the manager pulls you aside with a brusque, “We need to talk.” And immediately the poached eggs you ate for breakfast start to scramble inside your stomach.

At other times, after blowing a deadline or bombing a presentation, you kinda know what’s coming.

Either way, any rough conversation with a manager leaves most of us feeling as powerless as a mound of jello.

Rather than let our emotions be our compass, however, at times like these it’s helpful to have a plan for traversing the rocky path of responding to criticism. Here are four suggestions.

1. Listen

Usually, the second we hear any criticism directed our way, we’re already formulating a rebuttal: “Let me tell you why I am late,” succeeded by a litany of excuses.

However, you need to take more than a split second to assess the situation. Find clarity as to what the manager is saying by calmly asking questions, out of curiosity.

In order to take the emotion out of the situation, pretend you’re asking on behalf of a friend, with questions like: “Can you explain why this has been such a problem?”

The objective is to understand everything that is going on. Why does it matter so much that they’d bring it up with you?

2. Pause and Collect

Receiving criticism is hard, particularly when it’s poorly delivered, and it’s good to take a moment to acknowledge this.

After receiving a harsh lecture, the tendency is to head in one of two directions: either attack the person who’s giving it, or retreat and get defensive.

Rather than letting emotions dominate our actions, just take a moment to breathe. Establish some emotional detachment from the situation, and remind yourself that it isn’t personal. You’re discussing a work situation, but it’s not your whole life.

This distance creates a good foundation to formulate a constructive response.

3. Repeat Back What Was Said

After the manager has said his or her piece, come to an understanding of everything that was communicated.

Ask clarifying questions such as, “So it sounds like you’re saying…” Try to get at not only the criticism, but also why it matters.

Repeating everything back lets the manager know you’ve accepted and digested the message. It makes you look professional and responsible.

Offer a Solution

4. Offer a Solution

You probably have a really good explanation for the criticism. (“There was traffic, and my kids are sick, that’s why I’m late.”)

Regardless, and even if you’re being criticized for something that isn’t entirely your fault, this isn’t the time for excuses or explanations.

Rather, this is a window for offering a solution. For example, if you were criticized for going over budget or not meeting a deadline, say you’d like to meet earlier next quarter to develop a better strategy.

It may entail some quick thinking to come up with a solution right away. But it communicates that you want to work with the situation, and that you’re a team player.

It also acknowledges the chain of command. A “please help me get better” tone never hurts in a situation like this.

These four steps provide a path for responding constructively to criticism from a manager. Although you might come up with a different formula, the key is to detach yourself emotionally from the situation, and behave professionally.

Taking Action Afterwards

Taking Action Afterwards

It’s tempting to shoo a difficult confrontation under the rug and just get on with things, acting like nothing ever happened.

However, when you’ve had a chance to go to your office and decompress, it’s a really good idea to take further steps to resolve the issue.

Here are a few suggestions.

1. Write Out What Happened

When your memory is still fresh, jot down everything the manager said, and your response, then read it back over. This may help to diffuse any angst you’re feeling, as it provides objectivity.

It’s good to have this document to reference later. Our imaginations can do wild things, and so having an accurate summary keeps you from exaggerating the story into something like “He was yelling and screaming at me,” or “They just think I am the worst.”

2. Send an Email to Recap

Once the situation is clear in your own head, follow up with the manager. This may take some deep breaths, but it’s worth it.

The intent of the email is to establish understanding. So cut anything out that sounds apologetic, accusatory, or snarky. Be sure to include any follow-up steps you intend to take.

The manager will appreciate this response, as it communicates responsibility.

3. Assess the Criticism

Next, take some time to personally reflect what was said. Was the criticism merited? Were you really at fault?

This takes a lot of honesty. It may be that we’re called out on the carpet for something we had no part in, and it’s entirely unfair. In this situation, search out documentation to prove your point, and present it without any blame or accusations.

However, more often than not, there is some merit in the criticism. It may indicate an area for you to improve.

Finding a third party to talk things over may shed some light on the scenario. It’s a good idea to find a neutral person like a career counselor, rather than a friend or family member who might take your side completely. You need an objective assessment–someone who’s able to see all sides and offer you their perspective.

4. Get a Plan

When you’ve identified what you need to improve, figure out how you’re going to do it. If you’re always running late, maybe tweak your morning routine. If you’re over budget, research a new system to use on the next project.

The fact that the manager confronted you means they have a less-than-ideal image of your work ethic or behavior. Making changes allows the manager to see you in a new light.

5. Get Over It

Once you’ve accepted the criticism and made a plan of action, it’s time to get over it. Don’t dwell on the “unPHAIRness” of it, or berate yourself.

Take it in perspective. Consider the criticism in light of everything you’re doing right in your job and in your life. It may still sting a little bit, but remind yourself that criticism is natural and normal, and decide to move on.

In sum, taking action after a difficult conversation helps to resolve the issue and heal any tension in the working relationship. It’s hard to accept criticism, but sometimes the best way through a challenge is by going through it, and not avoiding it.

Handling Non-Constructive Criticism

Handling Non-Constructive Criticism

Every office has some mean bullies, or people with downright poor communication skills.

Sometimes they’ll vent frustrations without really thinking things through and resort to abusive language and ad hominem attacks.

It’s certainly not fun when this is directed at you. However, what these people say and how they say it reflects on them, but how you respond reflects on you.

When deciding how to handle mean or abusive criticism, it’s good to consider your professional reputation, and the impact it can have on your social capital. Here are a few guidelines.

1. Take a Breather

If you’re really triggered by a hurtful or nasty comment, it’s best to step away from the situation for a time, to prevent it from turning into a real fracas.

Walk around the block, get some coffee, or let it rest for the weekend. When the emotion has cooled down, you’re in a much better headspace to formulate a response, or determine if the situation even merits one.

2. Talk it Over Before Responding

Before responding to mean criticism, especially if it’s in writing, go over your response with a friend. Aim for a civil exchange, and don’t include anything that could be used against you.

3. Be Professional

Before responding to an office bully, think about your overall goals. Office behavior is noticed by everyone. Keeping yourself out of ugly office politics reflects well on you.

Although this isn’t possible in every situation, try not to burn any bridges. Everyone has different sides to their personality and at some point you may build a positive relationship with this same person, so long as the door is still open.

In sum, receiving harsh and mean criticism is one of the hardest things that can happen at work. It breaks down team spirit and makes it difficult to do your job. It’s helpful to have a few tools for responding professionally.

Evaluating and Accepting Criticism

Evaluating and Accepting Criticism

Even if you’re handling criticism well, it can still get inside your head and demoralize you. Some criticism is entirely irrelevant, and so the last thing you want to do is take it to heart.

Here are some methods for discerning if criticism is valuable, and deflecting messages we’re better off ignoring.

1. Manage Your Self Talk

Even when people say harsh or critical things, you still control how you absorb it. Take some time to identify the narrative you’re telling yourself. Push back on any messages that say “I’m not as good as them,” or “I’m a failure.”

Rather than listen to mean criticism, determine the story that you want to be telling yourself, and listen to that instead.

2. Know Who to Cut Out

Some of the criticism we receive really helps us, while a lot of it needs to be flushed down the toilet. How to know the difference?

Carlo Iaonne of ICM Career Coaching says to make this determination by asking yourself two key questions:

  • Does this person have my best interest in mind?
  • Is there a part of this person that I aspire to be like?

This simple criteria helps you separate the wheat from the chaff, and listen only to advice that is truly helpful.

3. Listen to Yourself First

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right–for you’ll be criticized anyway,” said Eleanor Rosevelt.

In our social media culture, where amassing followers and likes is what it’s all about, it’s easy to think that receiving criticism means we’ve done something wrong.

But the truth is, people are going to criticize you, regardless. When you know what you want, what you think, and what your goals are, then messages from other people, be they positive or negative, are easier to tune out.

Conclusion

Just like metal and steel, criticism is one of the hard facts of life.

When receiving criticism, it’s good to have a plan of action, in order to avoid making an unhinged, emotional response. It’s also important to discern when to accept criticism and when to reject it.

And criticism isn’t necessarily a bad sign. Receiving criticism means you’re being heard–people don’t criticize someone they never think about.

Anyone can offer advice from the comfort of their living room, but not everyone is willing to step out there and fail.

So don’t be too concerned about getting written up, or notes in your employee file.

Ultimately, it’s about what you think, anyway.

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How to Manage a Software Team: Creating a Framework for Success

Managing Software Teams

It’s your responsibility as a software manager to make sure your staff is productive and successful. You don’t need to be a coder to be an excellent manager. Many great managers aren’t technically competent; what sets them apart is their ability to lead and inspire people.

But leading software teams isn’t necessarily easy, It can be extremely challenging for several reasons:

  • For one, coding is repetitive work, and it’s frequently done in isolation. It’s all too easy to overlook the red flags that a team member is burning out if you’re not vigilant.
  • Also, It can be hard for developers to prioritize. Software development entails several tasks. And many of them are important. Yet, you can’t do all of them at once.
  • Not to mention software teams are often remote. Remote software development has its advantages. But there’s also the danger of communication breakdown.
  • Last but not least, the software industry is notorious for its high turnover. This implies that you’ll have staff members come and go frequently, making it more difficult to establish a strong culture.

The good news is that you don’t need to be a corporate psychologist or a management expert to lead software teams. With the appropriate methods, you can make managing software teams a lot easier and efficient. This article will provide you with useful strategies for managing your software teams more effectively.

Your role as a software development manager

Your role as a software development manager

As a software development manager, you’re responsible for creating an environment in which your developers can be productive. It’s imperative that you provide your team with the resources they need, set expectations, and ensure that everyone is working towards common goals. And that’s no small task.

Traits of a good software manager

To be a successful software manager, you must develop an acute awareness of certain characteristics; You must be:

  • Encouraging
  • An effective communicator
  • A problem solver
  • Organized

Encouraging – First and foremost, you must be able to inspire people. As a software manager, you should be able to inspire and motivate your team. This includes setting a good example, being positive, and establishing goals for the team.

An effective communicator – You should also be able to communicate effectively with your team members. This means understanding what each individual on the team is capable of, as well as being clear about expectations and goals.

A problem solver – You should also be able to think critically and solve problems quickly while staying calm under pressure. You need to know how software development works to create an effective software team that will help you achieve your business goals.

Organized – Finally, you must be organized. There is a lot to keep track of when managing a software team. This includes overseeing project deadlines, tasks, and resources. And if you lose track of something, it can end up costing you a lot of time and money.

The qualities that make the best software managers are not necessarily innate. You might have some or all these traits naturally. But with effort, you will be able to improve your skills in each area over time.

For example, if you’re an introvert, it can be hard to communicate effectively with your team members. But by keeping your team in the loop and learning to ask questions, you can overcome your introversion.

How to build a successful software team

How to build a successful software team

Now that we’ve looked at the qualities of a good software manager, let’s look at how to build a successful team. In this section, we will discuss the most important milestones in forming a successful team. We’ll examine the significance of recruitment, training, feedback, affirmation, and creating a productive working environment.

Recruitment

First, you need to find the right people. This means finding individuals who are smart, motivated and have the skills needed for the job.

Where do you find the right people? Hiring experienced developers is one alternative. This implies that you must look for people with the required skills and knowledge. LinkedIn, Indeed, Fiverr, Upwork, and similar platforms are good sources for competent individuals.

Another good approach is hiring recent grads or interns. The benefit is they’re often eager to learn new things, have the drive and passion for what they do. Many colleges and universities offer internship programs in which you may employ students who want to learn on the job.

Another advantage is that most of the time, they will work for less money, and you can mentor them to increase their expertise. However, depending on the person, you may need to put out a lot of effort into training.

Training

Training

After you’ve built your team, the next step is to train them. To have a successful software development process that generates high-quality results, make sure to properly educate your staff members.

Training can be divided into three categories: Technical (knowledge and skills), soft (behaviors), and managerial (leadership).

Technical training means teaching your team coding languages, platforms, and technologies.

Soft skills are more difficult to master than technical knowledge because they do not have a clear set of rules that you can follow. For example, the ability to communicate is something that users must learn over time through trial-and-error or input from other people.

Managerial training is focused on developing the skills needed to be an effective leader. This includes learning how to motivate team members, set and achieve goals, and think critically under pressure.

The best way to provide training is by using a combination of methods: online resources (videos, tutorials, articles), hands-on activities (workshops, hackathons, meetups), and one-on-one sessions (conferences, meetings).

Feedback

Feedback

After you have completed training, your software team will need ongoing feedback so they can continue to learn and improve their skills. Feedback offers many benefits: it gives people a sense of accomplishment and recognition, makes them feel more valued by the company they work for, helps identify what software development skills need to be improved or developed further, etc.

There are three areas for feedback:

  1. First, is giving feedback for job performance. This feedback looks at the task itself and how well they performed in comparison with their peers or other software development professionals. Feedback for performance also should include an evaluation of the technical skills needed to accomplish that work (i.e., coding languages used).When giving feedback, don’t forget to be both constructive and positive. The aim isn’t to put someone down or deceive them; the objective is to assist them towards improving their abilities.
  2. Second, is receiving feedback on the overall process you use to complete the software development. This includes an evaluation of how well the team works together, their communication skills, and the tools and technologies used.When your team’s processes are out of whack, software products may not reach their full potential. This type of feedback is essentially critiquing the structure or format of how work is done.This type of feedback should be received regularly (weekly or monthly) to ensure that you as a manager are aware of how your team is experiencing your dynamics and processes.
  3. Third, is receiving Feedback for you as a manager. This can be difficult to do, as it requires a high level of trust and brave communication (i.e. honesty).This type of feedback should be requested from your entire team. And remember the goal is to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses as a leader. It will also provide insights on how you can further develop your managerial skills.Feedback can come in different forms such as verbal (in person), written (email), and nonverbal (e.g., with body language, tone of voice). It’s important to communicate feedback in a way that all team members can understand and use.

Affirmation

Affirmation

Next, you need to take the time to affirm all team members. Affirmation offers software development teams an opportunity to recognize each other’s strengths and has proven to be a powerful tool in software team building.

Affirmation helps build self-confidence, develop interpersonal relationships (e.g., teamwork), provide encouragement for future work performance, demonstrate appreciation towards others, and increase overall software team morale.

It’s important to realize that affirmation shouldn’t be reserved for software development experts; instead, affirm all software team members no matter their role or level of expertise (i.e., everyone).

A simple way to do this is with a daily standup meeting where you can recognize who did what throughout the software development process and for their efforts.

Affirmation is such a powerful tool because it doesn’t require you to spend money, but rather simply time and effort which can go a long way towards helping software team members feel appreciated.

The bottom line is that affirmation benefits software teams by creating trust between each other, developing communication skills (e.g., collaboration), and increasing software team morale.

Environment

Environment

Last, but certainly, not least is the power of setting the right environment. This means creating an environment that is positive and encouraging, where team members feel comfortable taking risks and sharing ideas.

Even if your team is remote, there are still things that you can do to create a good working environment, such as holding regular zoom meetings in which everyone discusses their progress and problems.

Be careful to not overdo it, meeting for the sake of meeting isn’t a good idea. Make sure that the meetings are valuable and beneficial to your team members, otherwise, they may get discouraged or demotivated very quickly.

What’s important is that you build an environment that creates a connection between your personnel and software products. This is done by providing the right tools, technologies, and training so software team members can feel confident in their abilities and be productive.

Creating this type of environment takes time and effort but is well worth it in the long run.

Summary

Software teams are the backbone of any software development organization. As a manager, it’s important to be aware of the different dynamics and processes that make up a software team.

Tips for managing software teams

4 Tips for managing software teams

Now let’s look at 4 tips for managing software teams. These tips will help you create an effective environment in which your developers can thrive:

  1. Set expectations early – set your team’s goals at the beginning of each sprint or project cycle so that everyone knows what is expected of them.
  2. Give your developers the tools they require. Providing your staff with the appropriate software for creating code, debugging problems, and so on is a good idea. Make sure you have an up-to-date version of the software they need and that you’re not asking them to use tools that are outdated or difficult to work with.
  3. Additionally, give your developers time to learn new technologies if needed. They may be hesitant to try something new at first, but with a little encouragement and support, they’ll come around to it quickly.
  4. Management software can be a game-changer. Use a tool like Teamly to help you keep track of what everyone is working on and how tasks are progressing.

Teamly is perfect for managing software teams. You’ll have the best project management tool needed to finish projects fast and efficiently. With Teamly you can see what everyone is working on, set and track goals, share documents, provide feedback, and more. Because your software team can see what everyone is working on, collaboration is easy and effective.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, keeping your software team members happy and productive is crucial to success in any industry, not just technology. So consider this framework when thinking about how you want to manage your next software project.

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Top 5 Elements Of Creative Strategy Development And Implementation Steps

Creative strategy development and implementation

When you begin a new project, one of the first things you do is form an initial outline – one of the essential elements of creative strategy development. This outline is one of the most important aspects of any new project and can be the deciding factor of its success. But one thing is often overlooked…

Creative strategy development is so much more than fancy words, clever designs, and standard sales tactics. While those are certainly important aspects, a creative strategy is made up of much more. First, let’s define creative strategy; then, we’ll go through the steps to develop and implement the creative strategy successfully.

What Is A Creative Strategy

What Is A Creative Strategy?

A creative strategy is made up of 2 essential parts.

First, the creative aspect. What typically comes to mind are design teams, writers, photographers, product designers, and digital media managers when we talk about creatives in the workplace. Creatives are the people who form the basis of new products and strategies, with an important set of elements in mind (we’ll break those down in a minute).

Second is the actual strategic planning that is done to help a new marketing project find high rates of success.

Essentially, creative strategy development is the process of identifying your marketing goals and designing a strategic plan to achieve them. It’s how you will lead your team in the right direction. These strategies allow you to create content that reflects the company’s values, engages customers, and solves a problem. A creative strategy will guide your business from its current state to meeting (and surpassing) your long-term vision.

Essential Elements Of A Successful Creative Strategy

5 Essential Elements Of A Successful Creative Strategy

While creative strategies can vary in their action plans and goals, there are 5 main elements of a creative strategy that play a vital role in its creation. These include:

  1. Brand Awareness
    This is the knowledge you have of what helps people identify your company, product, or personal brand. What are the long-term goals of your brand? What is the brand’s history? What has the growth of your brand looked like? What is your mission statement? What are the main values? All of these concepts play a vital role in the development of your creative strategy and must be well known to your marketing team.
  2. Main Objective
    The goal of the marketing strategy. (We’ll get more into this in the next section)
  3. Target Audience
    Who are you directing your marketing efforts towards? Knowing who you are talking to in your marketing will determine what strategies would best resonate with your ideal customer. Think of things like gender, age, demographic, financial status, likes and dislikes, etc. Many companies will even create a client avatar reflecting the ideal customer who the marketing campaign would be directed to.
  4. Primary USP
    The Unique Selling Proposition is why you’re the best person to be providing your service/product. The USP makes you stand out from your competitors by differentiating your offer (more on this below).
  5. Tone
    Many companies have created a tone guide for their marketing department to follow when creating any material for the company. This ensures that the voice of the company sounds the same across all platforms and is easily identified by their consumer base. A coherent tone across all of your marketing is essential in continuing to grow your brand and attract your target audience.

Process For Developing And Executing Your Creative Strategy

Process For Developing And Executing Your Creative Strategy

The process of developing and implementing a creative strategy is made up of 4 main parts: planning, developing, implementing, and measuring. Let’s take a deeper look at each one.

Planning And Development

  • Identify And Set Realistic Goals
    Setting goals that reflect your company’s values and are in line with its long-term goals is the first step in planning your creative strategy. Goals can include things like boosting engagement on social channels, creating hotter leads in your funnels, increasing sales, etc. These goals, however, must be outlined appropriately to be successful. This is where methods like SMART Goals can be highly beneficial, ensuring they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
  • Identify Your Audience’s Problems
    What problem are you solving for your target audience? What are their pain points? When you consider these questions, it is important to go deeper than surface level. When you think about the benefits you’re offering them, think about how they solve the bigger issues in their lives.For example, if you’re marketing a system to enhance team management, you’re making it easier for managers to interact with their team. You’re also helping them maintain their projects through one system. When you consider the deeper pain points, you’re creating a product that serves your customers’ bigger struggles. These include providing those managers with regaining their time, tracking progress with ease, and making deadlines nearly impossible to miss, all from one singular tool.Identify your audience’s pain points, and create a strategy to highlight your ability to fix them.
  • Brainstorm And Choose Your Creative Strategy
    When you’re developing a new creative strategy, a diverse team is beneficial. Diversity allows for a higher variety of perspectives, providing a better selection of ideas. Varying perspectives leads to higher rates of collaboration, producing more refined solutions and a strategy that will connect on a more personal level with your audience.A great way to begin planning your creative strategy is to work backward from the goals you’ve chosen. This will help you create a well-structured plan that keeps the timeframe of the project in mind.
  • Create Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
    Specifically, your USP is where you’ll define why you’re the best option. This will position you as the authority in your industry and is the first step in building trust with your customers.However, before you can position yourself as the best option in the industry, you must first know exactly who your ideal customer will be. You can achieve this by researching your target audience at length. Being knowledgeable about who you’re targeting will help you develop a more directed, personable strategy. This will allow you to connect with your audience on a deeper level than your competition.

Determine How You’ll Measure Success
The easiest way to do this is to set milestones to gauge progress throughout the project’s lifetime. This will provide you with a way to adjust your strategy if you find it’s not aligning with your expected timeline.

Depending on your project, your key performance indicators (KPI) will fluctuate to fit the strategy, however, they may include:

    • Click-through rates
    • Number of new email subscribers
    • Engagement on social platforms
    • Number of sales
    • Profits made over a specific amount of time

Implementing And Measuring

Implementing And Measuring

  • Pre-Test
    When beginning any new marketing campaign, it is essential to pre-test your strategies in smaller pools. This will help you gain a better understanding of the potential success of your creative strategy. This will also provide you with the opportunity to identify any issues or shortcomings in your strategy and adjust them to be more successful.While in the pre-test stage, using an A/B test strategy is a great way to compare campaigns that have slight differences in them. This will provide you with the opportunity to see how each one performs and create your final campaign using the data collected from each.Once you’re satisfied with your pre-test results, it’s time to execute your final project and release it to your full audience.
  • Evaluate Your Campaigns
    Once you’ve executed your final product, ensure you check in on its success at various stages. This will let you monitor its progress and pivot if needed. The best way to do this is to use your previously determined milestones to measure the likelihood of meeting your goals in their expected timelines.Another way to evaluate your campaign is to compare data from past creative strategies to the data being received from your current strategy. This will give you a strong indication of growth over longer periods of time and allow you to measure success on a larger scale. This also provides you with a unique opportunity to “bring back” previous aspects of a creative strategy that performed well in the past.
  • Optimize
    If you don’t meet your goals right away, consider completing some additional testing of various marketing techniques (if time allows), while still maintaining the essential aspects of the project.If you do find your creative strategy failing, use it as a learning opportunity. Evaluate why your creative strategy may not have performed the way you had hoped. Take a deeper look into your USP, tone guide, and target audience research to determine if there are any aspects that may have been missed or need to be tweaked. Use all the data you have to make a more informed strategy for your next project.

Conclusion

Successfully developing and implementing a creative strategy is a powerful tool. Develop a creative strategy that helps you stand above the competition while remaining true to your company’s values and long-term goals. This will lead you to higher rates of success that benefit your company for years to come.