When you get your first office job, you learn a whole new language. Suddenly, you\u2019re learning about your team\u2019s \u201cworkflow,\u201d being forced to declare if you have the \u201cbandwidth\u201d to take on a new responsibility, and forever \u201ccircling back\u201d and \u201cdrilling down,\u201d all in the name of achieving “learnings.” One piece of workplace jargon you may not have yet learned is the \u201csingle source of truth”\u2014and it’s actually a helpful tool for staying organized. Here\u2019s what a “single source of truth” is and why you should implement one in your (forgive me) workflow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When your boss refers to a single source of truth, they\u2019re actually talking about a repository for all the information and resources related to your work. That\u2019s really it: It can include anything you need for a specific project or your job altogether, like contracts, instructions, timelines, contact sheets, templates, reviews\u2026 the list goes on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It should be well-organized and accessible to everyone who has anything to do with a given project. Back in the day, it might have been a big old binder, but the modernized version likely involves cloud-based software. A Google Drive, for instance, is perfect for an SSOT.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Using an SSOT is similar to the \u201caction method\u201d of productivity<\/u><\/a>, which asks you to sort your tasks into action steps, references, and back-burners using a spreadsheet. The column dedicated to references contains information related to accomplishing your task and can be considered a small-scale SSOT.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you\u2019re on a team, you can use software or a project-management tool like Google Drive, OneDrive, or SharePoint. The first document in there should be a list of everyone on the project or team, plus their contact details. Use this to make sure everyone on <\/em>the list has access to the SSOT. It\u2019s also helpful to have a naming scheme in place, so files are easy to identify as the folder fills up. Something like LastName_DocumentTitle_Date.extension works great.\u00a0<\/p>\n If it makes sense, give everyone editing access, so they can mark off what they\u2019ve done or add resources as they become available. If there are too many team members or you want some oversight, keep editing permissions limited to managers.\u00a0<\/p>\n SSOTs eliminate confusion about who needs to do what and how they can go about it, plus they make it easier for team members to step up. For example, if someone is out sick, their duties and the tools they use to get their tasks taken care of are immediately available in the single source of truth.\u00a0<\/p>\n You can also use the SSOT plan for personal use, whether to track your own progress on a work project or something else, like the management of your home. Have a folder for contacts related to your kids\u2019 activities, maintenance and cleaning professionals and tasks, or whatever else you need. This is helpful if you ever need to share details for some reason, like if you need to go out of town and have a friend watch your place.<\/p>\n As lofty as a \u201csingle source of truth\u201d sounds, this is one of those corporate ideas that has real-world benefits and will actually make your life easier, giving you (forgive me again) more bandwidth for other things.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When you get your first office job, you learn a whole new language. Suddenly, you\u2019re learning about your team\u2019s \u201cworkflow,\u201d being forced to declare if you have the \u201cbandwidth\u201d to take on a new responsibility, and forever \u201ccircling back\u201d and … Continue reading How do you use an SSOT?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\nSource: LifeHacker – Use a ‘Single Source of Truth’ to Be More Productive<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"