In my previous post, I outlined the principles we follow at Software Advice to get and stay organized and execute effectively on projects: our Bad-Ass Execution Principles (BAE).
Of course, knowing the principles is only the first step. You must also know how to implement them, and what tools you should use to do so. In this post, I’ll outline the steps we follow when actualizing the BAE Principles.
How to Implement the BAE Principles
We use a number of Internet-based tools to help us implement the BAE Principles properly: primarily, these are Gmail, Google Calendar, and Basecamp. Here are the steps we take to stay organized using these resources:
- Make a list of projects. In Basecamp, make a list of all of the projects you are currently working on, or plan to work on in the near future. Generally, we try not to make these lists more than a month ahead of time.
- Make a list of next actions. Create another list in Basecamp detailing the very next actions you are going to take for each of your projects—for example, the research you plan to do, interviews you’ve scheduled, or emails you’re going to send.
- Make a list of what you’re waiting for. This important organizational step helps you keep track of not only what you need to do, but also the things other people need to do. Make a list of what you’re waiting to receive from others—such as an email response or meeting confirmation—and decide if and when you need to follow up.
- Clean out your email inbox. Keeping your email inbox clean is a great way to stay on track, and helps keep unread messages from building up, too. If an email doesn’t require follow-up action, we archive it in Gmail. Emails that do require action are added to our “next actions” list before being archived.
- Schedule anything you need to remember on your calendar. Put all appointments, project deadlines, and reminders on your calendar. This not only helps you keep track of your schedule, but it allows other team members to see when you’re free in case they need to schedule a meeting. We use Google Calendar to track everything we need to remember, including time we’ve set aside to work on specific projects.
- Review everything, every day. Go over all of your lists and your calendar every day, ensuring everything is accurate and complete. Make any necessary updates, such as new projects you’ve been assigned, current projects you’ve completed, or actions you’ve taken.
By using online project management and organizational tools to implement our BAE Principles, our team has gotten organized, and stayed that way. You, too, can apply these principles within your company to get things done more effectively.
