Something happened this past week that I don’t think has ever occurred before……
My inbox was empty.
No messages in it at all. Blank screen. Nada. Nothing there.
To memorialize this rather odd occasion, I took a screen shot of my inbox. Check it out.
Even though there were not any inbound messages at this one moment in time, we certainly had work to do. As a testament to our team and great partners, we are trending towards a third straight record breaking year for the Huddle Up Group. We are deeply grateful for all of our supporters that have helped make this journey happen.
After sitting back and thinking how on earth my inbox was suddenly void of content, I thought about how this occurred. A few things that contributed to this – here are three takeaways for you today…..
Teamwork and Delegation – We have a great team at HUG which makes delegating projects and tasks quite easy. For the most part we all know what everyone’s role is, so it’s usually pretty simple for our staff to get things into the right hands. A solid handoff is as important as the work product itself.
Systems and Structure – Our team has put several systems in place to make our workflow virtually seamless. It’s taken the better part of nearly 11 years to get here, and to refine our processes and structures around our work. Sure, we stub our toe here and there like any small company does, but we are a million times more efficient today than we were even a year ago. Once you have a solid structure in place, you can get in a rhythm that can enhance the cadence at which you produce solid results.
Overcommunicate – We have three standing (Zoom) meetings every week, each with its own purpose. One is an all staff meeting to go over the week ahead, one is for the business development team to talk about projects and leads, the last is for the leadership team to talk about strategy. Same days and times for these meetings every week. We also meet in person for 2-3 days at least once a year, with the hopes of doing so twice every 12 months when we are able. Above and beyond that, our team talks/texts/emails each other multiple times a day. If there is a question about direction or a deliverable, we are not shy about reaching out to other members of the team. You may think that overcommunicating should INCREASE the email traffic to my inbox. On the contrary, this high level of open dialog actually makes the workflow smoother so there is less discrepancy on where things go and when. That contributes to a more efficient and intentional process each day, which limits the amount of waste in my inbox.
Hope you too can have a moment in time like this one. One day with an empty inbox.
Delegate where you can, put systems in place, and overcommunicate for more efficient outcomes.
Hope to see many of you in Kansas City this week. Have a great week ahead!