You’re getting ready for your early day.
It is business as usual.
But, today you are psyched because it is your youngest child’s 7th birthday.
You’ve been working on their party for weeks.
Your plan is to hit the ground running, get your tasks done, execute, and to be home before the first guest arrives at 4 p.m.
You made yourself a nice handwritten list of what your employees need to accomplish.
You spent the time making sure that everything is written down so that you could avoid forgetting something and being late for the birthday party.
That sounds like a great day to us.
You get all your stuff done, and your six-year-old will be excited that you are home in time.
But, as you’re walking back to your office following a quick meeting with your team, the unthinkable happens.
You reach into your pocket and find nothing.
While you were making your rounds, the checklist you created slipped out of your pocket.
You’re horrified!
You cannot recall where it could have fallen out.
You also know that you cannot leave until those vital tasks are set in motion and completed.
Of course, you know what to do, but there are a few things unique to today’s list that you thought should be handled a little differently.
You want to make sure to remind Jim (or was it Jeff?) not to forget that issue you had a couple of weeks ago.
But, now you cannot remember the specifics.
Your team is relying on you.
Your child is counting on you.
Do you feel that you failed them?
What went from a peaceful day to a stressful one has you scrambling to locate or remember all 24 items on your list.
This experience doesn’t resemble Proactive Operations.
Agree?
Let’s change it.
Eliminate this stress from your daily operation – and your life.
It’s time to manage all critical operational tasks using task management software.
That way you never have to miss or be late to another one of your children’s birthdays.
How does that sound?
Proactive Operations Master Operational Tasks
You have many tasks to get done.
Probably a “million.”
Executing those tasks is nonnegotiable.
That is the only way your property runs smoothly.
It is also the only way you look professional to your customers and boss.
What does your team need to get done on a daily basis?
Think about your current process for handling tasks.
What is it?
We know that if it is anything similar to the story above, you’re in a bit of trouble.
- Do you manage tasks in a spreadsheet?
- Do you expect newly trained staff to remember how to execute specific tasks?
- Are your employees getting tasks done?
- What happens to the items on the to-do list that don’t get done?
Your team is always on.
They’re disciplined and always have the customer experience in mind.
But, you have many moving parts.
Things are always changing.
To prove our point:
Let’s say that you’ve hired new staff.
Now, you have to train them.
But, you’re so short-staffed that they’re expected to be on the clock for tomorrow.
How stressed are you now?
We are all human.
Studies show that they will not remember much more than an ounce of their training.
Not to mention, you’re forcing them into a live environment.
You could give them a reference guide or handwritten notes.
Who knows if they’ll use them, though, right?
They might even forget to bring them to work tomorrow or misplace their list.
Following this method only leads you to another dreadful situation similar to missing your child’s birthday party.
You don’t have time for this.
The good news is, task management software alleviates the anxiety of getting your operational tasks scheduled, executed, completed, and on time.
You, your team, and this software solution make for a rock star combination.
Task management software improves your ability to get stuff done.
You can throw out your paper checklists.
Replace them with a software solution that reduces the time it takes to execute.
- Schedule tasks in a few clicks
- Send automatic reminders to your team
- Your team completes their assignments on time, professionally, and you can monitor it all within your solution
Proactive operations efficiently manage operational tasks because they rely on task management solutions.
Ask yourself, why would you not want to have Proactive Operations in place?
4 Benefits of Task Management Software You Need
Whether you’re convinced of the power of these software solutions or not, here are the four top advantages of using these systems.
- Centralized Task Management
- Managed Daily & Event Tasks
- Tasks Executed Based on Specific Criteria
- Scheduled Reminders for Timely Execution
These solutions are a no-brainer.
They’re simple to use and put in place.
But, not all operations use them.
Why?
Our guess? You don’t want to employ Proactive Operations.
Prove us wrong!
Start using a task management solution to elicit value.
1. Centralized Task Management
Track and communicate operational functions separately from incidents and customer requests.
Separating these functions gives you a strict focus on each.
High priority incidents do not slip through the cracks, your customers receive the first-class service they deserve, and essential operational needs receive proper attention.
Centralizing operational tasks allows your team to ensure performance and professionalism promptly.
2. Managed Daily & Event Tasks
Create tasks for daily property operations or specific events occurring on your property.
Just create and schedule the tasks and watch them get completed effortlessly.
You will not need that paper checklist keeping you from your child’s birthday ever again.
Have control of what needs to get accomplished whether it is your daily operation or a scheduled event.
3. Tasks Executed Based on Specific Criteria
You can create tasks based on:
- Time
- Event Marker
- Previous Task
Time
Every morning your security team is automatically sent a task to open the parking gates at 6:45 a.m. for the early risers.
You might like to sleep, but at least you can rest easy knowing your employees are not locked out.
Event Marker
If you are a property that relies on beverage revenue, send out a reminder to consolidate your alcohol kiosks to specific locations after a particular moment (i.e., 2nd period or intermission).
This allows you to control alcohol consumption in hotspots while ensuring you reach your revenue goals in low-risk locations.
Previous Task
You need to check specific areas and hotspots during your day.
But, you cannot remember everything.
You’re too busy.
You have a birthday to catch!
Set a task to check hotspot ‘B’ 30 minutes after your previous location inspection of hotspot ‘A.’
The countdown only starts based on your completion of the last task.
4. Scheduled Reminders for Timely Execution
Send task reminders to your team via text, email, and proprietary mobile apps.
Now, your communication ability depends on the flexibility of your solution. (Not every solution offers mobile applications.)
Reminders provide your team with a record of their tasks.
These are valuable because they help to ensure nothing ever gets missed.
You cannot afford for tasks to get missed. But, you already knew that!
Over to You
You have your task management software fully operational. Your afternoon turns out to be as good as you imagined it.
The operational tasks are scheduled, and ready to help your team maximize their performance.
Go home, enjoy your children, and rest assured knowing things are getting done.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in April 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness and freshness.
