Team Member Do’s and Don’ts

Dennis Yuby /

At a glanceTeam Member Do’s and Don’ts
  1. 1Start here Canonical page for every new team member.
  2. 2The same mistakes, in one place, before the access list.
  3. 3New Team Member → The reply rule If the question is to you, answer this thread within 24…

Start here

Canonical page for every new team member. The same mistakes, in one place, before the access list.

New Team Member →

The reply rule

If the question is to you, answer this thread within 24 hours. One of: done / doing+date / blocked+who / parked+owner. Another thread is not a reply.

Always Reply → Two minutes. Then do the work.

Working with us isn’t complicated, but it does require one thing: professionalism.

That means being reliable, responsive, and resourceful without me having to babysit you.

If you want to succeed here, here’s exactly what’s expected of you.

You should:

  • Be reliable. Know your job, do your job, and do it well. Don’t sit around waiting for instructions, be proactive.
  • Hit inbox zero daily. Your inbox is not a junk drawer. Clean it out every day so nothing slips through the cracks.
  • Be responsive. Good communication is about speed and clarity. Reply within 24 hours (sooner is better), and give updates without being chased.
  • Live by #RACI. We work as a team, not a collection of freelancers. Own your role, respect others, and communicate like you get that.
  • Practice active listening. Saying “I understand” means nothing if your actions don’t show it. Prove comprehension in your replies.
  • Give notice before being absent. Don’t ghost us and explain later. Tell your team lead before you take time off so coverage can be arranged.
  • Be resourceful. Before asking questions, check our resources: website, YouTube, and Google Drive. Odds are, the answer already exists.
  • Bring solutions, not just problems. Anyone can complain. Leaders fix things. Be the latter.
  • Respect the rules. They apply to everyone.
  • Meet deadlines. Deadlines exist for a reason. Respect them.
  • Be a problem solver. We want doers, not excuse-makers.
  • Own your mistakes. Hiding them makes things worse. Admit, fix, move on.

You should not:

  • Work other jobs while here. Splitting focus kills performance. We need people fully committed; burnout helps no one.
  • Message me directly. Ever. There are managers and Ops folks who can answer your questions. #RACI exists for a reason, use it.
  • Mark tasks as complete in Basecamp. That’s for me and managers only.
  • Ping Dennis on Basecamp. He sees everything already. No @Dennis needed.
  • Touch client work without knowing their GCT (Goals, Content and Targeting). Without GCT, you’re wasting time and producing junk. Don’t do it.

This isn’t complicated.

Be reliable, be responsive, follow the rules, and use your brain.

Do that, and you’ll thrive here.

This article connects to BlitzMetrics processes including Digital Plumbing, SEO Tree. Each of these concepts has a definitive article that explains the full framework.

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
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.
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