Utilizing Software, Building Communication Channels and Striving for Common Goals with Angela Greaser of All the Ops
Episode 169: Show Notes
We are super excited to welcome our great friend and colleague, Angela Greaser, to the show today! Angela works with us as the Director of Operations at Think Creative Collective and is the Co-Founder of All the Ops. We really know how much Angela’s expertise has helped us in our business since she came on board and we cannot wait to share it with you! We get down to it with Angela on how you can streamline your operations, open communication channels and the importance of documenting your processes.
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During our chat, we break down different social media platforms, software solutions and the integral value of company culture. Before we hired Angela at TCC, we are open to admit we really did not have any company culture to write home about. But with Angela’s help and proficiency, we are glad to say we have built much stronger practices within our virtual workspace. We even kept Angela’s name a secret until very recently just so no one could poach her from us! She’s just that good! If you are looking for ways to enhance and optimize operations in your business or even just want some inspiration to get things moving in the office, this episode is for you! Let’s get right into it!
The Role Angela filled at Think Creative Collective
Angela joined Think Creative Collective at what felt like was the perfect time. We were in somewhat of a transition period and definitely needed some more assistance with team management since it was a serious point of pain for us. We can honestly say the company was lacking greatly in company culture and Angela arriving was a great milestone in building that.
How We Found Angela
We actually found Angela on a small Facebook Group after coming out and asking if anyone would be interested in an Operations Manager position with us. After a bit of light-hearted back and forth, we decided Angela was who we needed and she immediately got to work making sure we were documenting our processes. Angela is a strong advocate for Toggl, the extension which helps you calculate the amount of time spent on tasks. These sort of measures and a helpful dose of upfront planning really aided our team on its way to where it is now!
Documenting Processes
It might feel like documenting a process will slow you down at any given point instead of just getting it done, but as Angela reminds us, the small investment of time now to documenting how a task is completed correctly will pay off in the long run, saving you much more time down the road and allowing much more space for team member growth. So next time you are asking yourself if you should do the responsible thing and document what you are doing, think of the future. Again, Angela has a great software aid for this task and suggests using Loom to record your work, preferring it to Quicktime and other screen recording programs. The major advantage to this type of documentation is, of course, that you, or more importantly, others will not have to spend any time figuring it out how it is done ever again!
Angela’s Job at Think Creative Collective
It is important to ask the right questions when looking at the operations of any company: “Who is on the team?”, “Are they doing the right job?”, and “What is their favored way of communication?” Strategy sessions following these kinds of questions can help organize and propel a team towards its goals and make sure everyone is in the know, working towards a common endpoint. Another useful piece of software, and a common one at that, for this sort of work is Slack. For Angela, Slack is an essential piece of the puzzle in building and maintaining a unified vision within a group.
The Importance of Transparency and Communication
We at TCC may appear to have very little verbal filter and a very open style of communication, but as we learned with the arrival of Angela, we had a way to go towards full transparency in our company. It is okay to have the difficult conversations to prevent problems in the future. This might mean pointing out problems and mistakes but when handled in an appropriate and constructive manner it really can be quite simple. As we have said before, “people take direction well if it is delivered well!” Feeling like a family at Think Creative Collective is a big part of who we are and those you care about need clear communication. This is a model that steers your ship forward and keeps you on track.
Advice in Improving Communications
Before we even got into Talk Strategy to Me, Angela had some advice for those of you out there trying to improve communications in the workplace. First of all, she says you should streamline. This often means centralizing the platform you use to communicate so there is no fall through when a message is sent out. There should also be guidelines to expectations around the etiquette of messages. People have different habits and tendencies and without open channels, messages and announcements can be lost and time and energy can be wasted.
Quote This
You have to learn how other people want to communicate.
Highlights
The Period When Angela Joined TCC and the Role She Filled. [0:04:24.2]
How TCC Found Angela on a Facebook Group. [0:07:06.2]
The Importance of Documenting Processes as You Grow as a Business. [0:12:25.4]
What Exactly Angela Does at TCC and What Is the True Value of Her Role. [0:017:20.1]
Dealing With Problems or Mistakes Through Transparency. [0:27:42.2]
Angela’s Advice to Those Struggling with Communication. [0:36:02.2]
#TalkStrategyToMe [0:40:20.3]
Document process.
Use the right project management software.
Identify pain points.
ON TODAY’S SHOW
Angela Greaser
All the Ops
Angela is the Co-founder and COO of All The Ops. Her goal in her biz life is to get founders, entrepreneurs and small business owners off the front lines of their day-to-day operations and back into the CEO seat. She’s the Director of Operations at TCC and a lover of beautiful systems and processes. When she’s not busy strategically streamlining operations and building ultra-efficient teams, she’s soaking up nature on the Maine seacoast with her husband/bff, 2 precocious daughters and 2 loyal canine kids.
