Not-Do Lists for Sign Company Owners and Managers

I DON’T KNOW about you, but I have about eight different to-do lists in my life. Some are formalized in our management team meetings, and some are scribbled on the back of receipts and stuffed into my notebook… I think… One was right here a second ago!

You may be like me: My to-do list never seems to get done! Often my to-do list, if I look at it closely, with a critical eye, is full of things I really should not do.

As an owner or manager, are you cluttering your most important to-do’s with things you really should not be doing?

Creating a not-do list can help you move things off your to-do list, and help identify areas to delegate, assign to others or simply not do!

Here are some of the things I find cluttering my to-do list that I frequently decide should not be there:

• Write an estimate — As an owner or manager, I know that this should never be here if I’m growing my company. Maybe it should be “recruit new estimator” or “train new rep to write this quote” instead.
• Order materials — Ordering is best done by someone you have trained to order materials properly, plus report to you on inventory levels and any unusual orders. Training or recruiting a stock and ordering specialist should be on your to-do list.
• Create a design for a customer — Are you the “best designer” in your company? If the answer is yes, you have under-recruited your design team, or you are not properly staffed for the work coming in. Solving that problem should be on your to-do list.
• Schedule installation — Have you not made installation part of the process for your team to handle? If you are worried or focused on an important installation coming up, walk your project leader through your expectations. Put “attend installation” on your calendar so you can show up, check their work and meet with the client.
• Interview and hire candidate — I’m always surprised at how often this appears on my to-do list. Interviews are best conducted by the people who will work with the candidate, day to day! Involve your team in the hiring process. For the first few hires you can teach them how to assess candidate resumes, and then conduct interviews together. Your team is more likely to help engage in onboarding and training if they don’t feel “saddled” with a new hire they had no input on!
• Post on socials — For the love of Pete, stop posting and get your team to help out! Whether you recruit a marketing firm, use a small “tiger team” of employees, or encourage your installers to, at the very least, grab some photos of completed work; this should not rely entirely on you! Post when you have time, but engaging your team in the effort will be fun for both your followers and your interested team members.
• Over-involve in unpaid work — I’m probably most guilty of this — getting involved in my community in different efforts and losing focus on what matters most in growing my business. Invest in your community, but be thoughtful about what you commit to, whether chairing a golf scramble or serving on a committee. Involve yourself with clear intent and limits!

Start making not-do lists and examine how your critical management time is being spent doing work others can do.

No one else can run your business or department — that cannot be delegated away. Protect your time fiercely with a not-do list to help create the very best to-do list!