Planning the Work
✓ CompletedIn Lesson 3 you decided what you can start now. In this lesson you'll put it in order, check whether it fits before the deadline, follow one of Grace's checklists, and plan a day with several tasks.
Here's your next move from Lesson 3.
| List | Next move |
|---|---|
| I'll start now | Find the 12 on the Best Sellers tab. Make the folder Lumen Home – Best Sellers – Oct and add the 10 white-background photos. Start the Doc with product names and photo file names, and leave the price column empty for now |
| I'll ask Grace | Which column has the wholesale prices: she said D, but D is labelled Retail and E is Wholesale. What to do about the two best sellers with no white-background photo. While you're asking: what time on Sunday night she needs it |
| Not mine to decide | Dana's request for the folder and the full Price List. Pass it to Grace. Don't send Dana anything |
These are the steps for the Lumen Home folder. Tap them in the order you'd do them. When all seven are placed, check your order.
What Has to Happen First
Some steps can't start until something else exists. You can't copy photos into a folder that isn't there yet, and you can't list 12 products before you know which 12.
Before you start, look at each step and ask: what does this one need first? A folder, a file, an answer from Grace, something from Mark?
If a step needs Grace's answer, send the question before you start the long parts. Grace's day is your night, so her reply can take hours. Ask first, and her answer arrives while you work.
Steps that don't need each other can go in either order. You can make the folder first or note the 12 first. There's often more than one good plan.
Habang tulog si Grace, tuloy ang trabaho mo. Kaya itanong mo na agad ang kailangan mong malaman bago simulan ang mahahabang bahagi.
Put It in Order
Back to the October stock count from Lesson 2. Grace has answered your questions:
Mark's tally for October is in the Stock Counts folder. Put the steps in order.
Will It Fit?
Before you start, do a rough time check:
- Add up rough times for the steps. Minutes or hours is fine.
- Work out the time you actually have before the deadline, in your time, after your other work.
- If you're waiting for someone's file or answer, count the waiting too.
The point is to find out early. If it won't fit, you know now, while Grace can still choose what happens. What you do next is one of the calls from Lesson 3.
How to tell Grace about a delay is in the update and delay guidance in Communication & Professionalism.
Will It Fit?
For each task, does it fit before the deadline?
Rename the 14 new photos: about 1 hour. It's Wednesday, 1 PM your time. It's due Thursday at 9 AM your time, and you have 3 free hours this afternoon.
Update the prices in 112 product rows: about 6 hours. It's due tomorrow at 9 AM your time. It's 2 PM now, and you finish at 6 PM.
Send Mark the October count: about 2 hours of work. It's due today at 6 PM your time. Mark's tally arrives "tomorrow morning".
Grace writes in chat: "Can you finish the newsletter list by end of day Tuesday?" It takes about 3 hours. It's Tuesday, 10 AM your time.
Follow the Checklist
Grace keeps this checklist in the shared Drive:
1. Add the shop to the Stockist Tracker: name, city, contact, email.
2. Make their folder in Buyers, named Shop – Stockist – Month.
3. Put the current Wholesale Price Sheet in their folder.
4. Add the folder link to their row in the tracker.
5. Set their Status to Ready for Grace.
Ana added two new stockists this week. Here are her notes.
Added Paper Moon Goods to the tracker.
Made folder Paper Moon Goods – Stockist – Oct.
Added the folder link to their row.
Set Status to Ready for Grace.
Which step was skipped?
Added The Clay Room to the tracker.
Made folder The Clay Room – Stockist – Oct.
Added the folder link to their row.
Set Status to Ready for Grace.
Put the Wholesale Price Sheet in their folder.
What went wrong?
When the Checklist Doesn't Fit
A checklist covers the usual case. Sometimes what's in front of you isn't the usual case, and following the checklist anyway would mean guessing. That's when you make one of the calls from Lesson 3.
A small difference isn't a misfit, though. If the checklist still tells you what to do, follow it.
Does the Checklist Still Fit?
Four more stockists to add, using the same checklist. What's your call for each one?
Little Harbor Gifts is already in the Stockist Tracker from 2024, with Status Closed.
Juniper Lane Goods emails asking for 20% off their first order before they'll sign up.
Driftwood & Co. The "&" makes the folder name Driftwood & Co. – Stockist – Oct.
Northside Home is in Vancouver, Canada. The Wholesale Price Sheet is in US dollars, and nothing in the checklist mentions Canada.
Several Tasks, One Day
Most days you'll have more than one task. To decide what comes first, look at four things:
- Hard deadlines, in your time.
- What Grace said matters most.
- Who's waiting: Mark, a customer, or another task.
- What happens if it's late.
A quick task with someone waiting can often go first. And when the day doesn't fit, say so early.
Plan Ana's Thursday
It's Thursday, 9 AM your time. You work until 6 PM. Here's what's on your list:
| Task | Rough time | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Send Mark the October stock count | 2 hours | Mark needs it by noon today to pack Friday's orders |
| Send replacement codes to two customers with chipped mugs | 15 minutes | They emailed last night and are waiting |
| Lumen Home folder and Doc (the prices wait for Grace) | 2 hours | Monday midday, your time |
| October newsletter list | 1 hour | Next Tuesday |
| Rename the 14 new photos | 1 hour | No deadline given |
Put the tasks in the order you'd do them.
Friday Doesn't Fit
Friday is already full: about 6 hours of planned work, including the Lumen Home folder due Monday. At 10 AM your time, Grace writes:
That's about 4 more hours, in an 8-hour day.
What's your call?
How to tell Grace about a clash is in the priority guidance in Communication & Professionalism.
- A step goes after whatever it needs. When an answer blocks a step, ask early.
- A rough time check is for finding out early, while there's still time to choose.
- Follow the checklist as written. When it doesn't fit, make the call instead of guessing.
- When the day doesn't fit, say so early and ask what comes first.
TASK CARD Task: Finished result: Sources: Deadline (my time / client's words): Limits: Open questions: SORTED QUESTIONS I already have it: I can find it myself (where): Only the client can answer: Mismatches I found (both sources): DECISION CHECK Can I go ahead? Proceed / Proceed + clarify / Clarify / Escalate Because: Before I act (confirm first if any is yes and I wasn't clearly asked): - Hard to undo? - Someone else will see it or be affected? - Money, a customer, important data or settings? PLANNING CHECK Steps in order (what does each one need first?): Questions to send early: Rough time: Time I actually have before the deadline (my time): Waiting on anyone? Fits / At risk: flag it now Checklist covers this? Yes / No: make the call (Proceed / Proceed + clarify / Clarify / Escalate)