At the heart of IMWT lie 5 core values that make the work-world go round. They are the pillars of our work and the support needed to make sure that we all move in the same direction. Each month we make sure to recognise our culture champions, the IMWT team members that go above and beyond to embody our values.
This month we are celebrating Cody, for his extraordinary ability to ‘Get Shit Done’ – not an easy thing, especially during challenging times.
Celebrating Our Culture Heroes – April
Cody is an SEO pro and we made sure to ask him what it takes to master this ability, to the point of being recognised for it!
Cody’s in there
Getting Shit Done has been one of your superpowers since starting with IMWT. How do you manage to do it constantly and at such a high level?
I’m going to answer this question with more questions.
- What are some of the reasons people DO NOT get work done?
- What are some reasons for poor quality work?
Time (Obvious)
Not enough time to do something, delivery can be delayed or quality can be poor. It really helps if tasks are well defined and briefs are detailed.
When I know how much time I have for a specific piece of work, it’s easier for me to plan and organise to get a task done on time.
Low detail brief/lack of understanding
With any work, details really matter and help me. Knowing exactly what I need to do for a specific task or project, helps me understand the why/who/what/how. When I have that information, I can typically get things done on time and do them well.
If a brief or task explanation is poor, expect the same of the work. Detailed briefs may take extra time, but it’s worth it in the end. Based on my experience, you can never go too granular with a brief.
“No task, no do. No task, ask.”
Answers to these questions (and more) help me understand expectations and improve work quality:
- What is the goal of the work?
- Who is it for?
- What is the client trying to achieve with it?
- Who are the key stakeholders?
- How does this fit into the overall plan or bigger picture?
- What tools or research is required?
- Is there any information missing?
Lack of interest
Goes without saying. If you’re not into the work, quality will be reflected in the output. A lack of interest also leads to procrastination. Rushing or last-minute delivery is never ideal.
I’m fortunate to enjoy my work. I’m part of a team of people who are very passionate about what they do. Whether that be organic search or other areas of expertise, I’ve learnt a lot and helped deliver some great results for clients.
Duplication of information
A real pet hate of mine and counter-productive to getting work done and done well. Also one of the easiest ways to lose information. One owner. One source of truth. One workflow. One brief.
Tools like Google Drive make this easier to control (remember the days of sending around Excel files > editing > saving > zero version control?). At IMWT we’re pretty good at using Teamwork to manage projects and control how we work.
Any tips for keeping yourself focussed and delivering great results while working from home?
I’m a big fan of routine, even at home. I may not always stick to it, but it is very effective. I stick to a dedicated workspace and reward myself with regular breaks. Clearing my head helps me focus and deliver deep work.
Disruption is great, just not when you are trying to deliver good work from home! So I limit distractions, (which can be difficult working from home). Generally applying this to work life, I try to limit unnecessary meetings, emails or slack messages for the sake of it.
