I can be quoted as saying “write that down” or “take a note” an immeasurable number of times throughout my day working with my team, whether we are walking into a meeting, walking our own venue, finishing up a client call or driving to get lunch. One of the first things Anthem’s new team members learn is the importance of creating and using to-do lists to keep track of ideas, tasks, thoughts – anything. I always believe in the importance of taking notes and find that having either an old-school notebook or an electronic notetaking ability nearby is handy.
With operating an enterprise with a presence across 70 markets globally in the large-scale event production and experiential marketing sectors, I always need to be able to see what is happening, when, where and how to keep our clients satisfied and to ensure that we are delivering optimal results. There are always updates, changes, additions, questions and scenarios shifting frequently in any creative industry. The ability to adapt quickly because your team is engaged and confident in their work is priceless. While being able to envision the ultimate outcome of each project is imperative, being able to segment large tasks into achievable actions and smaller assignments is Anthem’s first step to success.
By recording tasks and assigning a hybrid of assigned and also self-created deadlines for each task, our team at Anthem can more effectively manage their own time and actively encourage those around them to achieve more throughout the day. Team members who are unmotivated or overwhelmed can create unwanted problems or mistakes, which can be very damaging. Fortunately, Anthem has excelled in eliminating these potentially harmful scenarios.
It is proven that writing out a daily to-do list can boost productivity, improve memory and reduce stress, which is why we take our task lists seriously at Anthem. Not only does each individual member of our team feel accomplished at the end of the day for themselves, but so does our entire team when we all succeed. This personal and professional accountability is what creates such a unique bond within us at Anthem, we can trust that each person is doing their part and that when all the puzzle pieces are put together, we can celebrate as a team.
By Chris Sinclair
Founder, The Anthem Group