Time management: Do you manage it or is it managing you?

by | May 10, 2013 | Advertising, Business Success, Creative, Latest, Miriamisms, Social Media

In today’s fast paced, social media world, staying on top of projects and timelines and time management can be a challenge. A HUGE time management challenge. Clients today expect more, in less time. So how do we manage our time, in this fast paced world, without feeling like we are constantly behind and playing catch up?

At 3H, we understand this all to well.  We are a boutique agency, with a small, eclectic team. This allows us to be nimble, and turn projects around quickly. On the flip side, we can get swamped quickly…unless we manage ourselves, our clients and our time very carefully. So how do we do this, and continue to turn out first class product?

Make a list – and check it twice! Yes, it can take time to do this. But the time spent on this saves us in the long run. Whether it’s a a critical path or a social media calendar, it’s always vital to take the time and plan it out. Share it with all of your team, so everyone knows what is happening. When we need to juggle projects, having these deadlines and plans at our finger tips is a lifesaver!

Organize! Monday morning, lay out the plan for your week. List weekly tasks, than daily tasks. Each morning review the list and make a note of the 3 priorities for the day.

Communicate! Talk with your clients AND your team.  A good leader knows they are only as good as their team and supports their team to do the best job. Their job is to support them to get the work done.  Talk with them regularly about how they are doing and feeling, what is going on.  At 3H, we have daily, YES daily, production meetings. Sometimes they are 10 minutes, sometimes 30 minutes. The whole team knows what is happening with each project. Problems are discussed and solutions found, together.

Clear the inbox! Your inbox can fill up quickly. A few regular habits will help keep it manageable. When an email arrives, take care of it right away – reply, forward or file it. Take the action and clear it out of your inbox. If you are waiting for an answer on something, leave it in the inbox as a reminder that it needs to be completed. At the end of everyday, take the last 5 to 10 minutes to open and sort all email: what’s completed, what’s done, what needs to be done. This is the start of the next day’s to list.

Delegate. Sometimes it’s impossible to complete all your tasks on your own. Ask for help. This simple action can keep you from feeling bogged down and keep you on track and organized. Plus, it will build the confidence of your team, and help them to take ownership for projects.

Start a task. Finish a finish. I know this sounds simple, but in the multi-tasking era, how often do we start something, only to haven another emergency come up – and then we take a phone call. While multi-tasking is the norm today, it can lead to unfinished task and projects. It’s important to set time aside everyday to work on tasks and projects.

Finally, and most importantly, be flexible. On the drop of a dime, things can change. It’s important to go with the flow, ask for help, get all the facts and keep moving forward.

When I follow these tips, and stay on top of things, that allows me to be fluid and go with the flow.

How do you manage your time? Do you have any tips to share?

The Biz-isms of Power Marketing

by | Mar 20, 2012 | Advertising, Business Success, Miriamisms

You may not always be aware that you’re practicing them, but they become ingrained in the way you do things day to day. “Isms” for some, are an overarching, common sense way of doing things – approaches to keep in mind. These “isms” can apply to your everyday life or your career. In business and at 3H Communications, we like to use the term “biz-ism” as it is defined by our very own Canadian marketing veteran Miriam Hara.

So, what is a biz-ism and how does it apply to marketing? We’ve laid it all out for you in our first eBook “Marketing Understood 33 Biz-isms You Need for Success”. The first in a series of powerful eBooks, Marketing Understood will benefit anyone in business and marketing management today by giving you a collection of key marketing practices and philosophies to power marketing efforts. Whether you’re marketing a service, a product, a brand or whether you’re an entrepreneur, this eBook will give you a wealth of practical information presented in a very concise, no-nonsense way. It’s an easy, quick reference point on how to market and power marketing. Who doesn’t like the sound of that?

Among the 33 excellent biz-isms included in the eBook, the “Don’t be Surprised: Use Research” biz-ism caught my attention. I thought, well that seems like a no brainer, right? Although research is essential when making a good marketing decision, sometimes this crucial step in the marketing process doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Strong research helps identify, among other things, a target market and competitive approaches to make your campaign stand out above the rest. While researching, you might also find that you can take different routes and choose from several different options to effectively marketing your service or product.

The “Don’t be Surprised: Use Research” biz-ism, along with the 32 other great biz-isms in the Marketing Understood eBook, is a simple but important thing to keep in mind and add to your marketing mix.

You can download our “Marketing Understood: 33 Biz-isms You Need for Success” here to get more expert, seasoned insight on how to market powerfully and effectively.

Do you use any marketing biz-isms to effectively market your business? Leave a comment below – I’d love to hear what they are!