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What kills most projects? Easy – It’s failure to simply move. People get caught up in the details of planning that they fail to execute- Deer in headlights while a truck of tasks barrels down on them.
We have multiple frameworks, or “triangles” that could alleviate most problems like this. These help us write, plan, and keep project execution from stalling.
Here’s a look at 4 of the 9 triangles, and how they help keep us on track.
When we do an analysis or write articles, we follow Metrics Analysis Action (MAA). Get the numbers, explain the changes, and what to do from there, like so:
You can grab numbers and say “You have this many fans!”, but the value comes in measuring changes- which requires iteration, since you can’t measure from a single point. Plan your method of attack from there.
When writing and promoting, we keep Goals, Content, and Targeting (GCT) – What is your intended outcome? What supports the goal, content-wise, and who benefits from the message? You can place this under “Audience Planning”.
To mitigate the failure of execution on projects, we have the following frameworks in place:
Communicate, Iterate, Delegate (CID) – This is for working as a team and collaborating. Always tell others what you are doing, post your work regularly, and pass it off if you can’t finish it. Always do SOMETHING, never nothing, even if it’s saying “I can’t do it”, which is part of communication, and should be followed then by Delegation.
Do, Delegate, Delete (DDD) – This helps you be efficient yourself. When assigned a task, either do it yourself or pass it off to someone else, and then delete the task from your to-dos. Don’t save it for later when you see it by clicking “Mark as Unread” on an email- this breeds procrastination, and as more things shovel in on you, it will slide further back and languish.
These 9 triangles are critical to everything we do here at Content Factory! You should give them a try and let us know how they work out for you.
Part of Level 1
One inbox. Do, delegate, or delete it the same day. Every handoff is a Basecamp to-do with an owner and a date. Answer on the thread that asked. Done means you looked. This page is one piece of that loop.
Getting Stuff Done → The Level 1 hub, with the map of every piece.
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is the CEO of Local Service Spotlight, a platform that amplifies the reputations of contractors and local service businesses using the Content Factory process. He is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other brands.
Dennis has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs by partnering with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Through Local Service Spotlight, he teaches the Dollar a Day strategy and Content Factory training to help local service businesses enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring.
Dennis coaches young adult agency owners serving plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians, and believes there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers must be certified. He has appeared on 353 podcasts with 619 credited episodes — see the full list of his podcast appearances.