It’s no secret that creative people can have cluttered minds. If that comment insults you as a creative person than have a look at Albert Einsteins desk. Still insulted? Yes, he was a major scatter brain, and his messy desk was a reflection of how his brain thought and worked.
“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is a empty desk a sign?” ~ Albert Einstein
There are so many pro’s to being a creative person, and one major con. I suffer from this as do many other creatives in agencies. Cluttered brains often inhibit our productivity levels. Sometimes we have so much going on in our head that it’s often difficult to sit down and focus on the different tasks we have to do. That’s why your agency should use checklists. Checklists are the key ingredient in making your agency the most productive it can possibly be.
Why we need checklists
We don’t need Checklists because we’re stupid. It’s because we’re human, and most humans can’t remember the 100+ tasks we have to do at any given time. In fact, just knowing that we have 100+ task to do at any given time inhibits our ability to be productive because of the levels of anxiety is causes. Checklists help us accomplish the little things, and “little things, make big things happen” ~ John Wooden.
Expected results
If your agency incorporates the use of checklists I will guarantee you that your levels of productivity will double or triple at minimum. Here are a few other things checklists will do for you.
- Stop small things from slipping through the cracks
- Create happier clients
- Create happier bosses
- Make for shorter days and weeks
The Best Free and Paid Checklist Tools for Agencies
Basecamp (Paid)
Wunderlist (Paid and free)
Todoist (Paid and free)
Checkli (Free)
listmoz (Free)
Conclusion
I have ran an agency for 10 years. One of the smartest thing I ever did was incorporate mandatory checklists. Since then, checklists have helped us focus on small wins that when added up equate to big wins, happier employees, and happier clients.
Add one more paid to the list- OpAssure- http://www.opsassure.com
Here is another interesting solution – Any.do: http://www.any.do/