Trackers organize and energize my daily routine. We’ve talked about this before, but let’s double down on the details.
When I put our team’s initiatives, next steps and priorities in writing, it takes them out of my head, giving me a mind like water and a guide for my day (not to mention a printed task list to review during meetings or while sitting by the fish).
When small teams share the same tracker, we help each other determine, make time for, and hold ourselves to next steps. Team syncs, when held daily, are quick and effective.
Let’s talk about Finishing the Job.
I often question the inclusion of the “% Completed” column on my trackers. If I know the next step, why does it matter if I’m 10% or 40% through the project?
The only time it truly matters is when a task reaches 99%. It’s inevitable. Something is so close to done because the major effort is in the past: maybe the media engagement is complete, or that video has been published, or the crisis has passed. We all need that reminder, an opportunity, to consider the small things we can do to follow up and follow through. These are common sense, but some easy “final 1% next steps” include:
- Follow up with a thank you to the reporter and start working on the next engagement.
- Send the coverage to the service members or leaders who participated in the media event (bonus if you can send a hard copy magazine or newspaper). Ask them what else about their jobs is worth sharing, or could make news.
- When will you return for the rest of the story? If it’s an article/video about a training course, head back to their graduation for a quote and photo to throw on social media. If it’s a deployment ceremony or training event, hit them back during their deployment for an update. If it’s a change of command, schedule an interview six months later to see how it’s going.
- Is this one of your folks’ best work? Put a mark on the wall to submit it for a Keith L. Ware award or include in their next award or NCOER.
- AAR the way your team worked together through the event. Formalize your lessons into your SOP. Even better, bring in the other staff sections you worked with.
When this post is published, it’ll be 99% complete. It’ll be 100% when I’ve shared it with colleagues, Tweeted it, evaluated the readership stats, and made a list of follow-on topics we can write about based on this.
