Startup Tips Month Day 28: Curtiss Grymala from Ten-321 Enterprises

Day #28 in the CenterNetworks Startup Tips Month come from Curtiss Grymala from Ten-321 Enterprises.

Curtiss' Tips

Tip #1 - Plan everything before you do it

I'm not talking about sitting down and hashing out all of the minute details before you actually take any action, but it is always a good idea to set up a structured outline so you have a good idea where you're headed, and what it's going to take to get there. You should do this for every project you take on.

Tip #2 - Create a checklist with deadlines and assignments

Once you have the outline set up the way you want it, assign each item to the team member best equipped to handle it. Then, set a deadline for each item. Set it up as a "checklist" so you can see what you have to do, when each item has to be done, and what's already been done. A tip I hear quite often is to use a three-point method for keeping track of the items on your checklist: 1) leave the "Done" area blank if you have not begun to work on the item, 2) add a dot or a circle in the "Done" area if that item is currently being worked on and 3) Convert the dot/circle to a check mark once the task has been completed.

Tip #3 - Record everything you do when you do it

If a variable pops up that you didn't expect when you initially wrote your checklist, add it into the checklist for future reference. That way, not only do you have a record of what you did, but you also have an updated checklist that you can use if a similar project ever comes up again.

Tip #4 - Establish "ownership" of each resource, checklist item, project, etc.

It is very important to establish "ownership" of every project (or step in a project) that you take on. Find the team member best equipped to handle each item, and assign the item to them. Let them "own" it. Don't stress over the items you don't "own". Don't interfere with items you don't "own". Instead, truly "own" the items that have been assigned to you, and make sure that you do anything and everything possible to achieve the best outcome for each of those items.

If you spend your time worrying about items you don't "own", you won't have enough time or energy to get your own items completed. If you work on a resource that someone else "owns", then you could end up setting them back by inadvertently changing their process. If someone else works on a resource you "own" (for instance, a checklist of your own, or a document you've spent months putting together), they could do the same to you, setting you back countless hours. Rather than simply going in and editing documents that your colleagues "own", drop them an e-mail asking them to make the change to the resource. That way, they are aware of every change that happens to their resources.

Tip #5 - Confirm Task Completion

When you finish a task, let everyone involved in the project know that you've completed that task. In many cases, there will be people on your team that cannot begin their tasks until the previous task has been completed by another team member. When someone requests something of you, or when you are prompted to do something off of a checklist, respond to the person with an e-mail message simply saying "Done". If there is a link or an image that the person will need to view in order to see the work you've done, include that in the message.

Tip #6 - Leave a paper trail

Do everything through e-mail if at all possible. Asking someone to do something verbally is not nearly as effective, nor do you have any back-up if necessary, as it is to e-mail them a request.

Curtiss Grymala is the full-time Webmaster for a community college in Virginia. In his spare time, he runs a freelance Web development company called Ten-321 Enterprises, is an active participant in the HTMLCenter Forums and offers small snippets of code and bug reports to the developers and modders of the YaBB Forum system. He has been developing Web sites and applications for nearly 15 years.