Hi Reader 👋

Thanks for joining me on this productivity newsletter venture. Hope you're having an amazing Monday!

​

Two weeks ago, I set up a new, recurring meeting at my day job.

It’s a bi-monthly meeting between the Engineering and Customer Success departments.

Anyone who knows me will know I hate pointless meetings.

I’m fully ready for you to reply to this and tell me why meetings are the downfall of productivity! And I’ll probably agree.

I will try to explain why this meeting is valuable and would be an excellent addition to any company.

The Meeting Template

The objective of the meeting is to collaborate on a review of the last two weeks for both departments—the highs, lows, and potential improvements.

The template follows a simple structure: Review the last two weeks, make notes, and then review the next two weeks. At the end, ask any questions.

Here’s what the template looks like in ClickUp.

Breaking Down The Silos

One issue I’ve realised happens a lot in companies is that departments are siloed and can go days or weeks without real communication.

A 45-minute meeting every two weeks can solve a lot of issues.

That might sound like a long time, but consider it less of a meeting and more of a documentation process that encourages transparency and visibility in the company.

Departments operating in silos can lead to inefficiency and mistakes.

You might find the Engineering department assuming all’s well on the client front while the Customer Success team is scrambling to resolve an issue the client is having.

Repairing Trust and Building Bridges

Communication is vital, but it can be strained if there’s a lack of trust among the teams (I’m talking from experience here).

I like ClickUp so much as the single source of truth in a company because you can create company-wide visibility.

I recently built a client health tracker so that any department, from sales to engineering to senior management, can see a client’s health and provide input.

Everyone is on the same page, and you have the opportunity to get ideas from all departments.

Towards A Better Business Model

In the end, it’s all about bringing visibility to management. They can overview and steer the team towards better alignment with overarching business goals.

It’s a representation of our productivity, focus, and priorities. It’s about making a difference by having a regular catch-up to ensure everyone is on the same page.

I encourage every team manager or business owner reading this to explore ways to improve synchronisation between their departments. This is a step towards better team collaboration, efficient work management, and, ultimately, a healthier business.

Build trust. Trust leads to better communication. Better communication generates productivity and growth.

Your business works better, and your clients are happier.

​

Thanks for reading. Reply to this email if you have any questions or comments.

Have a great Monday!

Will

​

​​​​

Need help with ClickUp? Click here to book your free 15 minute call or reach out to me on 𝕏 @productive_will​ If you'd like to support this newsletter, please check out these affiliate links. They're all products I use and highly recommend: ​ClickUp™ | One app to replace them all​ ​AudioPen | Go from fuzzy thought to clear text. Fast.​ ​Typefully | Write threads on 𝕏, distraction free​ ​Descript | All-in-one video editing, easy as a doc​