When beginning new work with a Client, there are many initial stages, multiple action items needing to be addressed. There is an introduction of expertise, familiarity on the subject matter, and mutual confidence in the work at hand. These are the broad strokes, the high level objectives of what is needing to be done. While an understanding of expectations is important, the details surrounding the actual logistics will outline how successful a relationship or project will be.
We all want things to run smoothly and intentions are always in the vein of positivity from the start. Teams are formed and weekly scheduled meetings are decided on. A great place to start, however it can also be the end of logistical preparation. One of the biggest hang ups that attributes to a lack of productivity, a delay in objectives being met, and financial misuse is the lack of access to needed programs from the start.
This has happened to all of us. Contractors and Full-Time employees both run into situations that require IT or Management support to receive access to the utilities needed for work. Examples begin with needing more than just viewing rights to a real-time calendar, SaaS platform instances, cloud-based video communication abilities, editing rights to a communal intranet and so on. As time goes on, new programs will be needed for all things Marketing to thrive, yet the problems regarding access will remain.
So how do we fix this? No two companies are the same, however there are gray areas between industries. Many companies require a signed NDA, others require working within a VPN. Despite this, there are a number of practices that could prevent stalling to get projects and tasks accomplished on time. Here are just a few:
- Create a checklist. Sometimes there will be unknowns in what is actually needed for the job to succeed. Creating a checklist, in collaboration with both employee and Management, will eliminate doubt of what is needed and has the potential to grow and change as time moves on. The checklist can be an invaluable resource toward future endeavors.
- Bake it into the job description. Job requirements are always detailed in listings, so why not go the next step and define the requisites during onboarding? If the work requires Marketo experience, then Marketo (and all tools supporting the program) should be addressed before any work has begun. This sets a precedent and an even more defined level of expectation.
- Include requisites in presentations/decks. Listing the programs utilized in either preparation to a task or in a post mortem creates an awareness that can establish a precedent in what is needed.
- Establish the access. With the above points being mentioned, none of it means anything without the actual connectivity of said programs. Building a checklist is only successful if it is executed properly. Creating follow up with users can discover if any requests have fallen through the cracks, preventing additional help desk tickets and longer lead time for access.
The steps may seem excessive, however with the mindset of building out fully realized position requirements within your company in an effort to increase productivity, the steps feel a bit more mandatory. We all want to save time and eliminate unnecessary frustration. Keep in mind these logistics when onboarding the next member of your team.