Tag: project management

Administration, Finance, Helpful time saving tips, Marketing, New Strategies, Productivity, Travel

how-to-handle-mistakes

We all make mistakes, so how should we handle them? 

Does the circumstance matter? Should our clients be privy to every mistake that is made? In my experience, it’s best to take these 4 steps when you find yourself in such an unfortunate situation.

  1. Acknowledge it
  2. Learn from it
  3. Fix it
  4. Move on!

Acknowledging the mistake means taking responsibility for the error that was caused, plus this will prove your credibility. Depending on the size of the mistake, you should consider disclosing it to your client as well. I’m not talking about a little mistake you can easily fix. No client wants to be bothered with every little thing. I’m talking about something that can be detrimental to the workplace. It is essential that you bite the bullet and spill the beans no matter how hard it may be. You don’t want to be caught in a lie down the road if you never disclosed the mistake in the first place.

Learning from your mistake. Now, this is important because you don’t want to be repeating the same mistakes over again. Write it down, set reminders, practice, etc. Do what you have to so the mistake is not made again.  Remind yourself to double and triple check everything prior to moving forward. This will make it less likely for another error to occur.

Fixing the mistake. Since you were the one who made the mistake, it is now your responsibility to correct it. Sometimes the timing alone can be essential, so make sure to correct the error as soon as possible and go out of your way to ensure it has been fixed correctly. 

Now you can breathe easily and move on! Take it easy on yourself, don’t spend time focusing on the mistake you made and the reasons why. That will just cause you to worry, and worrying can cause more mistakes. If you follow these 4 steps I guarantee the likelihood of making another mistake will decrease dramatically.

Remember we all make mistakes every now and then, but how you handle them is what makes all the difference. 

Helpful time saving tips, New Strategies, Productivity

5-tips-to-get-you-motivated

We all have our own scenarios and reasons as to why we’re not feeling motivated. You went to bed too late, woke up too early, or you’re just not getting enough sleep in general. It could be that it’s Friday and your entire week has been exhausting, or it’s Monday and you are not quite ready for the week ahead. Whatever the reason, we all have them. So I’ve come up with some quick tips to help you get going when you least feel like it.

  1. Set Your Alarm: Not only will this wake you up, but I find if I set my alarm 30 minutes before I actually want to get up, it helps get my brain in ‘wake up’ mode.
  2. Give yourself at least 20 minutes to mentally prepare for the day: I’m not good when I’m running late. I like to take my time with my morning routine. I like to get my coffee ready, my workspace all set-up etc. When you’re prepared, you’re more likely to feel motivated for the workday.
  3. Make a list: I don’t know about you, but I like to know what needs to get done each day. I like to see it in front of me, on paper. Not just what is on my calendar, but all of the small things that need to be accomplished before days end. Crossing those things off my list just adds to my motivation.
  4. Set a big goal for the day (something do-able): At the bottom of my daily list I like to set one large goal for the day. This could be working on a major project you have going, creating content, or that one thing you’ve been putting off for weeks. This should be something you can get done in a day.
  5. Routine, routine, routine: This is the most important step! Make a routine for yourself. This is essential if you want to get things done in a timely manner. The more you do it, the more likely it will become repetitive. Having a routine will make you feel efficient, confident and eager to start your workday. This is a major step for motivation, so jump in!
Helpful time saving tips, New Strategies, Productivity

Finding the right tool for the job

tools_172_8fcf3e103490bf535bd5e07e721b786dc0cee0cc

Are you equipped with the right tools to complete your daily duties? Ask yourself these questions:

  • Do you have several unfinished tasks?
  • Is your calendar overwhelmed?
  • Are you always racing against the clock?
  • Do you have several unanswered emails on a daily basis?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions, your toolbox may be lacking. Let me explain, we all know that every task needs a proper tool in order to complete it correctly. After all, that is what we’re aiming for right? Not just finishing the job, but completing it the best way we can, consistently. These tools will help to do just that, they will allow you to finish these tasks while staying on track, and they’re more accessible than you might think.

Delegating is one important tool that will help get your tasks finished throughout the day. If you delegate your least important tasks, you will likely get more accomplished in the long run. You can delegate things like scheduling, inbox management, transcription, research, and so much more. Finding a good team member is fundamental to the delegation process in order to be successful. If you are working with someone like me, getting you started with an outline of tasks for the week will save you much needed time.

Project Management Apps are so helpful when you’re working with a team, or several projects at once. They keep everyone on track by providing updates, allowing team members to ask questions, move due dates, add new projects, check off completed projects, etc. Some apps allow you to leave notes, or messages for the rest of the team and provide calendars to include upcoming projects.

Social Media and Content Management tools These tools help you streamline your social media posts and content. You can post to several sites at once, and even set specific dates for posting all in one place. You can create your content in advance, so there is no more worrying about posting on a daily basis, or to several individual sites.

Team messaging Apps like Slack, HipChat, Same page, or Google hangouts are great for real-time messaging. You can provide updates on existing projects, ask questions, or give team announcements. You can even private message a member of your team or group. No more waiting for an email response. You can use these apps straight from your computer, your phone, tablet or other mobile devices.

Browser Extensions This tool is my personal favorite. Depending on the browser you use, there are many options that can make simple tasks go by much faster. Like researching content: you can install an extension that will pull similar pages for you. You can use these to integrate with other services, or use them to modify, and add features to your browser. I would suggest limiting your use with these, and only install what you know will be beneficial to you. You don’t want to weigh down your browser with unused extensions.