If you have a business, you should already be thinking about team management and workflow processes.
Even if you think you’re going to be a one-woman show for the life of your business, you should still have a system in place to get things done.
And if you ever intend to scale your business, you need to be thinking of how that’s going to happen from the beginning. Setting yourself up to grow is the best way to avoid issues when you start adding team members.
There are way more dos and don’ts when managing a team, but I believe these are the most important, especially when just starting out.
Make sure your team knows what’s going on.
Share your project scope and strategy brief with them. Let them know when there are changes.
Make sure they are just as aware of things pertaining to the project as you are so they can make the right decisions and don’t waste time doing things that you forgot to tell them changed.
You also want them to feel comfortable talking to you about new ideas, improvements, or issues, as well. Keeping the line of communication open only serves to make your brand better and your team stronger.
Having a process that everyone understands and is comfortable with.
This means getting your team involved from the beginning.
When you start adding team members, you need to make sure they’re on board with that process. Get to know them, see how they work and what makes them successful in getting work done.
Make sure the processes they use work with your process, so you can be successful as a whole.
Set and communicate brand guidelines!
This is more than just what colors to use and where to place your logo.
Defining the message, voice and tone is huge for anyone writing your content. But also think about your mission and goals.
Make sure your team is aligned with those so they can make the best choices for the work they’re doing.
And then once you have all of that in place, you have to trust your team and empower them to make their own decisions.
Which means if you’re someone who likes being in control, you may have to loosen the reins a bit.
If you don’t trust them to make decisions, they won’t be able to give you their best effort. If they’re constantly checking in, they’re wasting time.
This will also allow them to grow. As you grow your business, you’re going to need more team members and people to move into roles that require more responsibility. Letting team members make their own decisions will allow them to grow with you and ultimately make your business more successful.
Don’t Micromanage!
We’ve all heard of and probably worked for micromanagers. When I think of my experience of being micromanaged, I immediately feel a lack of trust. And if my manager doesn’t trust me, what is my motivation to put forth my best effort and do quality work?
If you are a micromanager, you’re wasting time. If you don’t trust your people to get things done, why are they working for you?
The whole point is to chill out, so take a step back, figure out why you’re doing it this way and your whole team will be so much happier if you just let them be.
Don’t withhold information!
This makes the whole team look bad and risks meeting the deadline.
Let your team know as soon as possible if there are any changes to the project, branding, message, etc
Don’t set unrealistic deadlines!
There will be times when you need to have something done urgently, but in most cases, you should allow yourself and your team PLENTY of time to complete projects or achieve goals.
Give yourself time and give your team time to do things well.
Reminder: YOU ARE THE BOSS you get to set the deadlines!
Don’t try to control every detail!
This goes back to trust. Trust your team to do the right thing.
You also need to determine what the top priorities are of the project and be ok with just those pieces getting done.
What detail are you trying to control that your client won’t even notice?
What is actually important?
Are you struggling with managing your team?
You might be having trouble getting your team or a team member to finish work on time. That’s where communication comes in. Ask the team why they’re not hitting the deadlines. Maybe they just have too much to do or the time that was given to complete was underestimated. Or they suck at meeting deadlines and it’s time to part ways.
Or you could be struggling with overseeing all the work that the team is doing. This is where having a solid process is so important. Especially combined with using something like Asana or Clickup. Making sure all team members are updating their progress in a project management tool will allow you to quickly see where things stand.
And if you’re at a point where there’s so much work going on that you just don’t have time to approve every little piece, delegate that part, too. Allow team members to make their own decisions.
