Q2 Culture Tips and Tricks

Tips & Tricks

Creating a Q2 Culture to Get Important Things Done
Julie Wood, Educational Program Manager
Wisconsin Small Business Development Center, May 17, 2018

What is one thing you could do differently that would make a big impact on where you spend time?

1. Schedule 15 or 30 minute meetings rather than an hour; there’s nothing magical about an hour and you can usually cover the same objectives in less time.
2. Manage expectations with intention. If you reply to email twice per day, people will expect a reply once or twice a day. If you reply to email while on vacation, people will expect a reply when you are on vacation.
3. Don’t be afraid to say no.
4. Have one master To Do list and use calendar technology with reminders where possible.
5. Delegate and trust.
6. Ask clarifying questions to help prioritize and manage workload.
7. Use a do not disturb sign.
   Small protected blocks preserve important worktime.
8. Have conversations with team members about agreeable approaches. Open communication and transparency promotes common needs.
9. Reserve the last 10-15 minutes of your day to plan where you want to focus the next day.
10. Continue to experiment with new techniques and approaches. What worked well last year might not fit now. Collected from lab management professionals in the Lab Management Community of Practice.

Documents

• CreatingQ2Culture-Handout
• Time-Self-Assessment