One thing that they never tell you in interior design school is that you need to have sales skills and the ability to effectively manage people! In fact, that last one is SUPER important to making your entire business run smoothly. If your team isn't clear on their tasks, or if they keep dropping the ball, you're going to spend a LOT of your precious time trying to get things back under control. That is just NOT an effective use of resources. So how do you keep your team on track? I have 4 important tips that will help you keep things running efficiently!

1. Communication

A lot of problems within a team can usually be narrowed down to communication issues. If YOU aren't effectively communicating what you need, then how in the world can you expect people to deliver?? It's really a catch-22. It's critical to have regular team meetings and to deliver instructions clearly and concisely. Keep notes about what you've talked about so you can keep everyone on the same page. And never give someone a task without also providing deadlines. You want each team member to understand what's expected of them so they can do their best work. And if things get off track, be sure to meet to get everything back under control!

2. SOPs

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about the importance of SOPs, or standard operating procedures. With those in place, everyone on your team can better understand his or her role. They also can get up to speed on new assignments or tasks quickly, because everything is spelled out in those procedures and systems! It's harder to get completely off track if every step is spelled out and every timeline or deadline is defined. And if hiccups DO happen (and don't they always?!), it's easy to get things back under control with the instructions and tasks that should be included in EVERY SOP. You can also onboard new team members MUCH more effectively with those procedures and systems in place!

3. Project Management Tools

There are so many efficient platforms out there that can keep your team on track, and that includes employees, contract employees, contractors, subs, and MORE. I love using Asana - it keeps my team running smoothly even when I'm working from another country! But no matter which tool you decide to use, plug in your SOPs, timelines, tasks, and deadlines. Then you can assign things to your team members with clear instructions. You can also include attachments, photos, messages, videos and MORE. Your projects will run SO much more smoothly and your team will definitely know exactly what's expected of them at any given moment. It also involves FAR less direct instruction from you, which will save you time and effort, too!

4. Feedback

ALWAYS be prepared to give you team members feedback - and that includes PRAISE! It's so easy to get burned out in the business (don't we all know it!), so you want to pump your team up when they need it, too. If you do ever need to give negative feedback, be sure you're unemotional and you have explicit examples to back up what you're saying. Just as important is being willing to HEAR feedback from others, too!! If something went wrong, be sure to listen to what your team members think went wrong, too. Have them review your SOPs and your systems. They will know if things need to be added or amended to make sure everything runs as well as it can!

If you're stuck in a rut and need help putting together SOPs and project management, be SURE to check out my Design Project Blueprint!! It will TRANSFORM your business processes and boost your teamwork! I've made it extremely easy and effective for you - just click here!!

PS. Be sure to check out my YouTube videos!