A monthly newsletter by Workamajig
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Process: workflows & operations - ya know, the day-to-day stuff
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Projects: ‘nuff said
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People: think resource management, employee retention, customer service
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Profits: the part that keeps us all in business ;)
Got something interesting to share with our readers?
Send your submissions to newsletter@workamajig.com
What Metrics Matter? (February 24)
It’s Profits for February!
When people throw around words like ‘project budget analysis’ or ‘billable summary report’, does your heart sink to your toes? Do you start chewing your nails off when you hear things like ‘revenue forecast’ or ‘time productivity analysis’?
These reports sure are scary when a) you’re not sure what they mean, and b) you have a funny feeling you should be using them or using them properly.
If you're that metric-allergic sorta project manager, this newsletter was created for you. You're welcome. And, even if words like ‘reports’ and ‘analysis’ are music to your ears, you’ll definitely benefit from the following:
We’ve created a list of the top most important metrics and reports for project managers to keep track of. Each one is broken down so you never have to wonder what in the world they mean again.
Read the latest edition here for our full roundup.
Re-Oiling your Processes Machine(January 24)
It’s Processes from the 4 Ps this month!
We rounded up some of our greatest tips designed to help you break into 2024 with the best processes in place to start the year on the right foot.
Check out this blog on the topic of Marketing Agency Reporting which is a great resource for which types of reports you should be running and how.
...and get ready for something big!
We’re cooking up an exclusive online community just for the industry that will bring greater focus on key trends, best practices, and insights into Workamajig and other areas of marketing technology. Teaming up with industry influencers, we’re creating a space where marketing agencies and in-house teams can collaborate for greater success. Stay tuned for the big reveal!
Read the full edition here for our complete roundup.
Wrapping Up 2023 and Unwrapping 2024 (December 23)
2023's been a big year for Workamajig - conferences, Bootcamps, webinars, new products, and more!
Read up on Workamajig’s 2023 highlights and get in on some plans for 2024.
We’ve done a roundup of Workamajig’s most popular blogs this year and sharing the top 4 here so you, too, can get in on the good stuff.
We’ve been privileged to join the 4 conferences this year and are excited to meet more of you at similar events in 2024!
Read the full here for our full roundup.
Wrapping Up and Starting Over (November 23)
How’s the year-end/planning for next year's season going at your agency?
Although this season is a veritable gold mine of opportunity to increase your profits in the coming year, many loose ends need to be tied, limiting the time spent focusing on the future.
The good news, however, is that you can make the most of this time, simply by knowing what your opportunities are and how to best put them into practice.
The even better news?
We have all the information you need in one place. Just follow this link for our blog - What Should Your Agency’s New Year Schedule Look Like to find out your priorities and how to achieve them successfully.
Maximizing Collaboration for Ultimate Project Success (October 23 )
The general rule is that people produce better results when their efforts are combined with the efforts of others. TEAM stands for Together Everyone Achieves More.
Moreover, aside from better project outcomes, people simply enjoy working with people (unless, of course, they are cavemen;) and studies have shown that 92% of employee stress comes from bad team dynamics.
How does your team promote good employee collaboration?
Read Project Collaboration Tips for Creatives to pick up some highly recommended tricks!
Navigating distractions at work and remote teams (September 23)
It's not difficult to get distracted at work these days, especially when you add remote work to the mix. How do you deal with distractions at work? What distracts you the most?
What about remote teams? How do you navigate having a team spread across different continents and time zones?
In How to Build Great Teams With People You’ve Never Met, you’ll find out how to change your communication strategy for virtual teams, create a stronger sense of “presence”, and identify key leadership qualities of virtual team leaders.
Profit and Project Scope (August 23)
We all know that projects have a tendency to run over time, over scope, and therefore over budget. But what if you could nip the problem in the bud by having a process that completely eliminates scope creep?
Hear tips from our experts in the industry:
- David C. Baker "Think of scope creep, first, as a lack of information. And to solve that particular problem, you need more information."
- J. Mark Riggs of Pemberton: "Agencies must write defensible scopes of work and be able to defend those scopes."
The Joys of Smooth-Sailing PRFs (July 23)
P of the month? Processes!
This time, we’ll be talking PRFs, AKA Project Request Forms.
Having a smooth project intake process will help you deal with this kind of thing, plus:
- Save you time with a standardized process
- Help you get your resources on track in advance
- Generate effective communication between stakeholders.
Understand how to create a well-oiled PRF process in our new blog: Project Request Form & Approval Process + Examples & Template
Forecasting for Profit (June 23)
It’s back to Profit folks!
‘The profitability of your agency and the happiness of your team is dependent on effective resource forecasting.’
Read Why Resource Forecasting in Project Management is Important to get a firm handle on:
- The repercussions of good or bad forecasting
- How to resource forecast like a pro
Marketing Project Management A-Z (May 23)
Zeroing in on people, the focus for this month is being a good team leader and manager.
For all the details on resource planning, zone into this highly current and relevant blog: Resource Planning for Project Management: The 2023 Guide
Kimberly Fulwood (Workamajig consultant) helps businesses grow and move into the future.
Find out why holding people accountable for their work is actually a very healthy practice, by reading her blog, here.
Marketing Project Management A-Z (Apr 23)
At Workamajig, we’ve created an A-Z guide on this topic.
Click here to learn how to run your marketing project management the A+ way.
This month, we're kicking off with some wise words from our very own Penny Kooy, who's been with Workamajig for over 14 years!
"Using Workamajig to manage your marketing campaigns can provide excellent visibility while having a profound and positive impact on your agency..."
The Upward Trajectory of Effective Communication (Mar 23)
Karl Sakas - an agency management consultant with 3 books and a whole lot of experience under his belt - has written us a superb guest blog, entitled, Unlock Agency Growth With Better Communication.
Once you’ve had your booster jab on how critical communication is, we’ve got a fantastic blog on how to put it all into action with a communication plan.
Unique Challenges of That Very First Experienced Hire (Feb 23)
Your first experienced hire can be daunting, often because your expectations are so high. There are a few things you should watch out for during this process to give this new employee the greatest chance at success.
David C. Baker, expert marketer and Workamajig consultant knows what it’s like to hire someone experienced for the first time and shares his words of wisdom.
To WIP or not to WIP? That is the question. (Jan 23)
If there’s a proverbial elephant in an agency's room, it’s WIP. Work In Progress always exists, the only question is, do you ignore it or do you grab it by the trunk?
But Vince says ‘you should NOT be very afraid of WIP’, and here’s why.
2022 Wrap-up (Dec 22)
We know that most of us have one foot out the door for the holiday season, so we’ll keep this one short & sweet.
When it comes to business processes, which trends are lasting, and which are but a fleeting phase?
View all of Workamajig's events and accomplishments of 2022.
Profit is the name of the game (Nov 22)
At the end of the day, profit rules the ‘four P’s’, because, without profit, your processes, people, and projects aren’t sustainable.
In this newsletter, we focus on utilization rates - what they are & and how they affect your profits.
All about Project Calendars (Oct 22)
From the outside looking in, managing projects seem like pure pandemonium, but successful agencies know better — there’s a method to the madness, especially in the core areas of project management, a.k.a the 4 Ps (process, profit, people, projects).
When it comes to Projects, only well-designed calendars and schedules can bring the order and accountability required to deliver top-notch creative work on time and within budget.
And we’ve got the top tips and tricks to help you tame the chaos of project management!
All about Client Communication (Sep 22)
So how do you go about simplifying your work life across these four core areas?
That’s what our newsletter 4Ps and a Podcast is for.
This September, we’re focusing on People, particularly on what you can do to establish effective client communication.