Tools Aren’t Magic: How to Get Your Team in Sync

Recently we worked with a small agency to bridge the gap between their management team and employees. The goal? To bring clarity around how their team was tackling the many tasks that came at them from clients and each other. Like many entrepreneurs, there was an element of neurospiciness (as we like to call it) for several members of the team, and they struggled to align their behaviors with their natural inclinations of organization.

We recommended that they continue their use of Asana and work to create an organizational knowledge base through Notion. They already had a tool they loved for time tracking, and we suggested that a team communication tool like Slack could also be helpful. Finally, we recommended that they move their sales activity out of Asana and into Pipedrive.

The reality is, however, that these tools alone will NOT get their team moving in the same direction. It would be great if you could just pay $15.99/user/mo and get organizational clarity, but it’s not the reality. The tools are just that. Tools. You don’t get a blueprint from a hammer any more than you get operational alignment from Asana. Both tools will help you get there, but they are not the roadmap. When you invest in tools, don’t expect them to be a cure-all for organizational alignment.

The peanut butter & jelly debacle

I like to tell the story of being a sixth-grade teacher and working on writing procedural instructions with my class. A favorite activity is to bring in all the materials you need for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich: peanut butter, jelly, a knife, a spoon, a plate, a loaf of bread. Then you have each kid write out how to make a PB&J according to them. Then you pick out a random kiddo and have them read their instructions. While they read, step by step, you follow their instructions - to the letter.

So when a kid says “put the peanut butter on the bread” without mentioning that you open the peanut butter jar, get peanut butter on the knife, open the bag of bread, etc.,” you place the unopened peanut butter jar on the loaf of bread and announce proudly “A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, ladies and gentlemen!”

The kiddos all giggle and then you give them a chance to revise anything they’d like to revise. Next they forget to mention the knife and you reach into the peanut butter with your bare hand. I think you’re getting the drift.

The real key to operational clarity

The same concept holds true when we try to give our team instructions. We assume our team members know the steps, but often they don’t. It’s not enough to just hand them a tool and expect them to use it perfectly. This is where clear team agreements come in. We’re not talking about SOP’s here (although you know I love to), we’re talking about how everyone on the team agrees to use a tool.

But using a tool should be straight forward, right? There are tutorials online, right? Sure. But none of those set the tone for how your company is going to use the tool.

Here are some examples of how a lack of SOP’s might leave your team with questions:

How is the due date set? Is it the date at which you want to review the work from the employee? Or the date on which the task must be completed, including review?

What does an employee need to do when a task is completed? Should they just check it off? Move it to a column or section for review? Assign it to the reviewer?

How should each person start their day - with tasks in Asana or in email?

Where is content related to the task stored? In the task itself, or elsewhere? Where does someone ask for or receive feedback?

So when these questions come up, we get frustrated and use of the tool begins to drop off. We say that the problem was the tool, but the reality is that the problem was team alignment.

What to include in team tool agreements

If we need agreements on so much, then what all should be included? Do I seriously need to include “open the project management app”?

No. Your employees are not sixth graders (hopefully). But there are a number of things we’d suggest you address as team agreements. Here’s a quick list of agreements for a project management (PM) tool:

• What should be included in each task in your PM system?

• Identify the source of truth. It doesn't have to be the PM system, but it has to be somewhere. Whatever you decide, all decisions, feedback, etc., about tasks should go there.

• In what situations can tasks be assigned outside of the PM system?

• How often will team members engage with the PM system? Daily? Hourly?

• How will boards be organized? By company KPI? By client?

Clear communication and the right tools can make all the difference in your team’s alignment. If you’re looking to create stronger systems and clarity within your team, we’d love to help! Reach out and let's get your team moving in the same direction.