Workflow: Recent Episodes
Brian Faust & Tom Planer
Workflow is the podcast that helps teams figure out the best way to work, collaborate, and get stuff done! Brought to you by Rindle.
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about 5 tips for the accidental PM.
- 00:41 Intro (Recur 2018)
- 04:06 What is an accidental PM
- 10:05 Tip #1: Don’t Just Manage - Lead
- 15:44 Tip #2: Plan collaboratively with your team
- 20:47 Tip #3: Pick A Process, Any Process
- 24:45 Tip #4: Focus on the Customers needs
- 26:32 Tip #5: Keep your promises
- 31:36 Tips for taking action
Useful Links
- Recur
- ProfitWell
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-24-5-tips-for-the-accidental-pm/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about sub tasks, fireside chat style.
- 00:44 Intro (Recur 2018)
- 03:15 What is fireside chat?
- 4:08 The different types of sub tasks
- 08:31 How we think about sub tasks for Rindle
- 10:42 Use cases for sub tasks
- 17:36 Assigning a primary task versus a sub task
- 20:44 Planning with sub tasks
Useful Links
- Recur
- ProfitWell
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-23-sub-tasks-fireside-chat/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about if Gantt charts are dead or not.
- 00:41 Intro (Gantt, iPhone tip, Zoom Chrome Extension)
- 08:13 What is a Gantt chart?
- 12:32 The history of Gantt charts
- 15:30 Are Gantt Charts dead?
- 29:23 How Gantt charts are useful
- 33:04 Tips for taking action!
Useful Links
- iPhone cursor trick
- Zoom Chrome Extension
- Henry Gantt's Book - Organizing Work - Free download
- Ganttchart.com - Evolution of the Gantt Chart
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-22-are-gantt-charts-dead/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about 5 myths about more productive teams.
- 00:38 Intro
- 09:50 Myth #1: Harmony helps. Everyone should just get along
- 12:13 Myth #2: It’s good to mix it up your team.
- 15:02 Myth #3: Bigger is better. Larger groups will produce a better result
- 19:30 Myth #4: Working remote is less productive
- 25:00 Myth #5: Working longer hours will get more work done
- 28:33 Tips for taking action!
Useful Links
- Episode 7: Working from home
- Episode 15: Is your team overworked?
- Episode 18: Why your team SHOULD disagree
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-21-5-myths-about-more-productive-teams/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom continue their conversation about creating documentation for projects. The good, the bad, and yes, the ugly!
- 00:41 Intro
- 01:07 How does Rindle document feature development? continued from Episode 19
- 05:23 Documentation for clients
- 15:59 Documenting rush projects
- 20:16 Tips for taking action!
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-20-documentation-the-good-the-bad-the-ugly-part-2/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about creating documentation for projects. The good, the bad, and yes, the ugly!
- 00:46 What’s happening Brian and Tom (iPad Pro, Gantt)
- 05:31 Where we stand on documentation
- 12:54 How we structure our documentation at Rindle
- 17:57 How does Rindle document feature development?
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-19-documentation-the-good-the-bad-the-ugly-part-1/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about why your team SHOULD disagree.
- 00:40 What’s happening Brian and Tom (Coming soon in Rindle: Tasks, sales calls)
- 05:53 Topic intro
- 08:00 In a team meeting, each role has a different agenda
- 18:07 Team members will have different perspectives based on their personalities
- 22:00 Setting ground rules for discussions
- 30:23 Tips for taking action!
Useful Links
- If Your Team Agrees on Everything, Working Together Is Pointless
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-18-why-your-team-should-disagree/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about idea management for teams.
- 00:40 What’s happening Brian and Tom (movies, in-home tech ecosystems)
- 03:11 Workflow automation webinar details
- 06:50 Idea management intro
- 08:14 Make sure every idea is captured
- 22:33 Recruit other people to expand your ideas
- 24:00 Test ideas and fail quickly
- 28:08 Tips for taking action!
Useful Links
- Workflow Automation: how to hack your process and get more done with robots
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-17-idea-management-for-teams/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about reasons PM Methodologies fail and how you can avoid it.
- 00:38 What’s happening Brian and Tom (movies, in-home tech ecosystems)
- 07:33 Inspiration behind this episode: Top 4 Reasons why your Project Management methodology Fails
- 08:24 1st reason: Complexity Creates Chaos
- 14:35 2nd reason: Process Overload
- 18:11 3rd reason: Too Much To Do, Too Little Time
- 23:33 4th reason: People, Politics, And Budget
- 29:12 Bring it back to the basics
- 37:55 Tips for taking action!
Useful Links
- Top 4 Reasons why your Project Management methodology Fails
- Workflow episode 4: A baseline workflow for any team
- Workflow episode 5: Finding your meeting Rhythm
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-16-4-reasons-pm-methodologies-fail/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about signs that your team is overworked and how to prevent it.
- 00:38 What’s happening Brian and Tom (football and babies)
- 02:41 Inspiration behind this episode: 5 signs your team is overworked
- 04:01 The first sign: People are working nights, early mornings and weekends
- 09:35 The second sign: People are missing family commitments for the job
- 13:58 The third sign: People seem more emotional
- 16:27 The fourth sign: Quality decreases
- 19:07 The fifth sign: Voluntary turnover increases
- 23:16 Tips for taking action!
Useful Links
- Halt and Catch Fire on Netflix
- Anthony Bourdain - Kitchen Confidential
- 5 Signs Your Team is Overworked - Entrepreneur.com
- Harvard Business Review: The Research Is Clear: Long Hours Backfire for People and for Companies
- Time, Quality, Cost – you can have any two
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-15-is-your-team-overworked/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about custom fields. Why we’ve built them and how your team can leverage them.
- 00:40 What’s happening at Rindle (custom fields is launching)
- 03:38 What are custom fields?
- 04:55 Why we decided to build custom fields into Rindle
- 07:21 Examples of how they can be used
- 22:05 Custom fields vs. tags
- 24:35 The future of custom fields
- 26:28 Tips for taking action!
Useful Links
- Learn more about Rindle's custom fields
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-14-how-your-team-can-use-custom-fields/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about how spreadsheets are killing productivity in your team.
- 00:39 What’s happening at Rindle (Mirrors in action)
- 04:14 Prospect use case for spreadsheets
- 05:33 Why do they use spreadsheets
- 11:17 Downsides of using spreadsheets
- 14:47 There are better ways to manage projects that INCREASE productivity
- 29:44 Tips for taking action!
Useful Links
- More on spreadsheets from our blog
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-13-spreadsheets-are-killing-your-productivity/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about how to manage project stakeholder expectations.
- 00:42 What’s happening at Rindle (NFL viewer user experience, NY Air Show)
- 05:44 What is a stakeholder?
- 09:20 Things to do for managing stakeholder expectations
- 26:02 Things not to do for managing stakeholder expectations
- 32:59 Tips for taking action!
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-12-managing-project-stakeholder-expectations/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about how what workflow automation is, some of its benefits, and some example use cases.
- 00:45 What’s happening at Rindle (V3 is released! On to Custom Fields)
- 05:43 What is workflow automation?
- 08:12 The benefits of workflow automation
- 15:59 Workflow automation use case examples
- 30:42 Challenges using workflow automation
- 35:02 Tips for taking action
Helpful Links
- Zapier
- IFTTT
- Google Drive
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-11-what-is-workflow-automation-anyway/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Asia talk about how to manage projects when you’re the worst project manager.
- 00:52 Quick intro
- 02:01 About Asia Matos
- 06:41 The importance of communication
- 11:38 Asia's workflow today
- 22:36 How is workflow different in a marketing department compared to a founder/freelancer
- 32:08 Asia's meeting rhythms
- 38:47 Tips for taking action
Helpful Links
- Asia's website: DemandMaven.io
- Asia's twitter handle: @asiamatos
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-10-how-to-manage-projects-when-youre-the-worst-pm-with-asia-matos/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about the benefits of visualizing your work versus traditional task lists.
- 00:50 What's happening at Rindle (Tom's back from vacation, group meeting scheduling)
- 06:25 What does it mean to visualize your work?
- 09:57 The challenges with lists
- 21:03 The benefits of visualizing your work
- 36:13 Tips for taking action
Helpful Links
- Acuity Scheduling
- Calendly
- Episode 4: A Baseline Workflow for your team
- Visual Workflow Webinar
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-9-the-benefits-of-visualizing-your-work/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about how to structure your team's work from projects, to workflows, to personal tasks.
- 00:38 What's happening at Rindle (Medium has a member tier)
- 07:51 What types of boards or projects should I have for my team?
- 08:33 Department/team board
- 11:44 Projects (start and end)
- 14:32 Workflows (ongoing)
- 17:41: Multi-board workflows
- 23:20 Personal tasks
- 25:07 Direct assignments in Rindle
- 28:15 The importance of using one system
- 33:39 Tips for taking action!
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-8-how-to-structure-your-teams-work/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about the benefits and disadvantages of working from home.
- 00:45 What's happening at Rindle (Medium has a member tier)
- 04:36 Article - Case Closed. Work From Home is the World's Smartest Management Strategy
- 05:43 Working from home raises employee productivity
- 13:06 Working from home reduces attrition rates
- 22:45 Working from home lowers facility costs
- 26:41 Working from home results in few sick days
- 31:43 Working from home reduces payroll costs
- 36:54 Tips for taking action!
Helpful Links
- INC.com - Case Closed: Work-From-Home Is the World's Smartest Management Strategy by Geoffrey James
- CNBC - Billionaire Richard Branson: 3 reasons you should let your employees work remotely
- Remote by Jason Fried and David Hanson
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-7-working-from-home/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about 8 ways to drive software adoption in your team.
- 00:39 What's happening at Rindle (flip flops and more)
- 06:14 Our general thoughts on software adoption
- 09:07 #1 - Involve your team from the beginning
- 11:23 #2 - Choose software that is easy to use
- 14:19 #3 - Explain the key benefits for the software
- 17:01 #4 - Communicate at every stage of implementation
- 17:45 #5 - Don’t skip out on training
- 21:47 #6 - You lead, and they will follow
- 25:09 #7 - Be patient and nurture your team
- 27:11 #8 - Collect feedback along the way
- 30:32 Tips for taking action!
Helpful Links
- Brian's favorite flip flops
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-6-8-ways-to-drive-software-adoption-in-your-team/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about their podcast creation process and meeting rhythms.
- 00:43 What's happening at Rindle (a bit on our podcast creation process)
- 07:28 David Hauser
- 10:54 What is meeting rhythm
- 14:10 Daily, weekly, monthly meetings
- 25:45 Tips for taking action!
Helpful Links
- Zoom
- Rev
- Sketch
- Simplecast
- WordPress
- GarageBand
- SaaSFest
- Scaling Up by Verne Harnish
- Develop a Meeting Rhythm by David Cummings (Pardot)
- Other articles on meeting rhythms
- Why, What, How of a Weekly Meeting and Meeting Rhythms
- How to ensure your business has the right meeting rhythm
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-5-how-to-find-your-meeting-rhythm/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about a baseline workflow that can be used by any team.
- 00:43 What's happening at Rindle (a bit on our podcast/marketing workflow)
- 03:45 Intro to the baseline workflow
- 07:20 Our recommended baseline workflow
- 13:18 Benefits of this baseline workflow
- 16:23 How work should flow in this baseline workflow
- 26:45 Tips for taking action!
Helpful Links
- Help article we wrote on this same baseline workflow (https://help.rindle.com/getting-started/best-practices-for-workflows-in-rindle)
- Our webinar on how to create a Visual Workflow for your team (https://get.rindle.com/visual-workflow-webinar/)
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-4-a-baseline-workflow-for-any-team/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about what Slack is good at, what it's not good at, and tips for using it.
- 00:42 What's happening at Rindle
- 03:30 How we use Slack
- 06:25 What Slack is good at
- 14:09 What Slack isn't so good at
- 26:45 Tips for using Slack!
Helpful Links
- https://slack.com
- https://slack.com/screenhero
- https://get.slack.help/hc/en-us/articles/202009646-Make-an-announcement
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-3-is-slack-really-where-work-gets-done/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about the different ways time is tracked, when time tracking sucks, and when it doesn't.
- 05:10 How is time tracking used today
- 08:02 Why time tracking can suck
- 17:13 When tracking time does make sense
- 19:13 The arguments for time tracking
- 32:59 Tips for taking action!
Links
- http://www.winwithoutpitching.com/the-manifesto/
- https://magazine.vunela.com/why-timesheets-are-the-enemy-of-creativity-a6d8339c4296
Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-2-why-time-tracking-sucks-most-of-the-time/
In this episode of Workflow, Brian and Tom talk about why they made this podcast, quick introductions, and what they believe in.
- 01:22 Why we're doing this podcast
- 05:52 Brian and Tom introduce themselves
- 14:30 What we believe
- 19:53 Show format
- 22:23 Tips to take action!
Full Transcription
https://hello.rindle.com/episode-1-welcome-to-workflow/