The challenges of doing everything with less is increasingly difficult for all of us. In this talk, Ron will draw on years of experience in random outposts to uncover how he maximized the advantages and disadvantages of small-team life. You’ll also learn tactics for improving your own productivity in your own office. From the 2016 Now What? Conference: www.nowwhatconference.com

1. Managing the Ups & Downs
of Small Teams & Solo Work
Now What? 2016
Ron Bronson

2. About Ron
Director, Nordic Strategy Lab
Speaker.
Practice: UX/Digital Strategy. Service Design.
Past: Omnivore Athletic, Aggregate
Conference, Future Wyoming.

3. What’s your role?

4. Meet Liz
Marketing Manager, Aha!
Insurance Co.
● Graphic design
● Copywriting
● Marketing

5. Some of Liz’s Tasks
● Organizing content from
subject matter experts.
● Serving as liaison between
remote IT team & agents.
● Social media management
● Weekly reporting to her boss,
the Director of Operations.

6. What Liz likes
● Independence
● Fewer steps
● Agility
● Adaptability
● Variety

7. What Liz doesn’t like
● Not enough time in a day
● Lack of buy-in
● No upward mobility
● Having to wear lots of hats

8. How do we help Liz?

9. ● Having the confidence & authority to delegate
tasks.
● Motivating subject matter experts to provide
content.
● Building frayed bridges between her area & IT.
● Being seen as knowledgeable.
Liz’s Challenges

10. "The corollary to accountability is forgiveness.
Things go wrong all of the time in
relationships...this is not to say that failure is
accepted; rather, that it is acknowledged and
understood."
Charlene Li (Open Leadership)

11. How does Liz solve for X?

12. Knowing her own limits.

13. It’s not enough to
communicate. She has to
evangelize.

14. Resisting the urge to say
“that’s not my job!”

15. Frameworks

16. Delegation Rank
An assessment system for bullpen environments to help people
better measure expectations.
1. Independent
2. Seek Approval
3. Research & Return

17. Strategize
Prioritize
Execute
Measure
Evaluate

18. "The more people involved in a given task, the
more potential agreements need to be
negotiated to do anything, and the greater the
transaction costs."
Clay Shirky (Here Comes Everybody)

19. Tusen Takk.
@ronbronson
ron@nordicstrategy.com