How to get the right work done the right way in the right time

In order to effectively and easily improve productivity we must systemize every job function as a discrete set of processes that are not dependent on any one person or personality. Said another way, your great sales system will evaporate if it only resides inside the head of your best sales person. When they leave, so does your sales system.

This is true for every part of your business including your job!

Without clear job functions, we get “swarm ball” – the work habit of constant interruption, reaction, and running to and fro – never strategic, always off balance.

How we get your team organized and focused

To optimize workflow, we divide a job into four main categories:

• Anchor Activities
• As Needed Activities
• Projects (milestones and to-do’s)
• Appointments / Meetings

Anchor Activities

An “anchor” activity is defined as an action that is absolutely vital to the accomplishment of a particular job function. It must be done with regularity (scheduled) and in a specific way. It cannot be pushed off or forgotten. Anchors should comprise 10-20% of any job. Anchor activities “anchor” us as individuals to the accomplishment of our goals and the larger mission.

As Needed Activities

As Needed’s are what fills most of our day. While we need the “big rocks” in first, the little pebbles are what keep us hopping. The key here is to simply define the list. We can’t respond to everything; otherwise we don’t have a job, we just have a work blizzard. So we need to ask the strategic question, “What items, if/when  they are needed, should I be responding to and when I do what is the best practices I should use, what time limit should I stay in and what objective outcomes will tell me that I’m successful?”

As Needed’s are by nature unscheduled and usually make up 60-80% of a job function.

Projects

Projects are longer term efforts spanning days, weeks or months and which usually involve other people. In MasterPlan™ projects are easy to track, delegate and keep up with. Most project management tools are usually way too complex. For small business we’ve found that only the essentials are really useful:

• All Vital Project Data Accessible in One Location
• Milestones Easily Updated and Assigned to Others
• To-Do’s Easily Marked Completed with Hours Spent
• All Milestones Appear in User Calendar Automatically
• Jeopardy Alerts Tell Team Members When Items are at Risk

Simple. Effective. Project management should be easy and obvious. With MasterPlan™ it is!

Appointments

Whether in the office, out of the office, tentative or confirmed our scheduled time with others is critical to keep up with. In MasterPlan™ you finally have full integration of your work and appointments.

Instead of going between programs and spreadsheets to keep up with things, now you can see everything in one place. But will your people really use it…

Easy to Use – Simple, Straightforward