...of Shannon

5:45 am 

Wake up sandwiched between two fur babies and note that my husband is, yet again, on the edge of the bed. Yes, we’re suckers for our cat and dog.

5:55 am 

The commute from the coffee pot to my home office….ah no traffic, just smooth sailing. This lack of commuting never gets old.

5:56 am

I quickly glance at our internal communications via Slack and decide what needs my immediate attention. I currently have 3 Slack accounts to monitor and respond to when needed. Some of our slayers have more than that depending on the amount of clients that they work with. Slack has been a great tool for increasing communications and helping organize the day.

6:30 am 

I live and die by my calendar as well as my task management system, Asana, so it is now time to review my day, rearrange/PRIORITIZE on the fly if I see something important is on fire, errr, urgent. I prioritize serving my team and problem solving client issues as this has become the current focus of my role as COO.

7:00 am

Thankfully, nothing urgent so I proceed with my day by checking emails and Slack messages and responding to any and all messages that require my attention. We have slayers located all across Canada, in multiple time zones. This means, as I am starting my day in B.C., those slayers in the Maritimes have already put in a couple hours. 

I have a recurring daily two-hour time block to manage my Asana tasks, Slack communications, emails, and those priority items I mentioned above. It’s amazing how quickly that time flies and I try to get as much done in this time frame as the rest of my day can be taken up by multiple calls.

9:00 am

Using our Zoom account, I attend our biweekly Team Leads Meeting where we discuss strategies, targets, any roadblocks and decide if additional targeted calls are needed for any issues. This is our time to clearly define goals and determine who is working on what -- a pivotal action in setting and maintaining expectations, managing our ever growing slayer team, as well as helping to ease and understand stressors.

10:00 am

After the Team Leads call ends, I review the ongoing agenda and see, via the live Google doc, that Team Lead Brittany is delegating responsibilities per the call and action items are being assigned. I make a mental note of which items are my responsibility so that I can think about them later in the day. Time for a quick trip to the coffee pot before my next call!

10:20 am

Ten minutes before a new prospect call, I review the notes that have been prepared. Prospect inquiries come in via our website and slayer Kristi who manages them, coordinates the calls, and sets up agenda notes prior to the call. This process has simplified my life, freeing up more of my time to be able to do those things that require my deeper attention. I simply need to click on the calendar entry and review the Prospect Intro Call notes.

10:30 am

Joining me today on this prospect call is Team Lead Morgan. Our Team Leads are now the frontline slayers, managing both client work and the teams of slayers working with the clients. Their input on prospect calls is very important to us. 

11:30 am

Morgan and I chat after the call ends to discuss the high points, determine if the prospect is our ideal client and if it is a match for all parties. Morgan will clean up the notes and then share them in the Team Management Slack channel for future discussion/determination if we move forward and which Team Lead will work with the prospect/client. Kristi will later update the Asana task with next steps.

12:00 pm

Lunch time already? My husband has a new job that allows him to come home and have lunch with me. It’s a bonus for us as we currently only have one day during the week off together, so we make the most of our time together.

12:45 pm

With my husband off to work, I’m back in my office ready for a shorter afternoon - my mornings are long with the 6:00 am start and lack of breaks. I know … breaks are important and I’m working on that. 

1:00 pm

Today I have a scheduled 1:1 with Team Lead Margaret. The Team Leads each have scheduled 1:1’s with other slayers and I have the 1:1 with all the Team Leads, giving us all the opportunity to proactively manage performance, communications, priorities and challenges. I highly recommend that all companies implement 1:1 meetings to provide open communication, a supportive environment, and a venue to set priorities that align with the corporate strategy. 

2:00 pm

HIKE with Lily! Lily is our 5 year old lab/border collie cross. We adore her and she has been a good companion for me. Our daily hikes are a much needed mental break for me, allowing me to recharge and refocus.

3:30 pm

I’m back from the hike and feeling refreshed. This late afternoon time block is used to check back into Slack and see if anything requires my immediate attention. Today is quiet and it allows me to go back to Asana and complete today’s tasks. Team Lead Christina, who is also part of our People Department, has added a couple tasks for me around our newest slayer recruit, so I quietly work on that. I add some talking points to our future Team Management agenda in regards to the new recruit, their unique skill sets, availability and time zone. This information will be used when assigning the new slayer to the appropriate Team Lead and future client(s). Both Brittany and Margaret join me on these types of calls, puzzle piecing together the info in order to find that perfect slayer/client fit. 

4:45 pm

I realize that there are never enough hours in the day but it’s ok. It's necessary to shut the work day down at a reasonable time in order to prevent burnout. What I do is not life and death … however it is important and I get to end the day knowing everyone is feeling supported … our slayer teams and the clients. 

5:00 pm

I start working on dinner for the family. Only our youngest is at home now and, if I’m lucky, he will be home from work and we can make dinner together. 

6:30 pm 

My husband and I take Lily for a walk to our local community park. We chat about each other’s day and watch Lily run around looking for squirrels. Squirrels are her obsession and her adorkable antics always bring a smile to our faces.

7:00 pm

It’s time to wind down with Netflix. Currently, we are binge watching Parks & Recreation, a really funny, light-hearted sitcom. We are nearing the end of the series so if anyone has any recommendations for future sitcoms, share away!

9:00 pm

I usually end the evening by playing a few scrabble games on my phone, catching up on personal texts, or scanning through Facebook. 

10:00 pm

Has it really been an hour? I should be getting ready for bed. ‘Night all!