Wanna RACI?

I'm sure this is the start of many RACI posts. Not sure what I am talking about? Check out the Wiki page dedicated to RACI. It's a fundamental acronym in the development of organizational models.

What it stands for:

R = Responsible
A= Accountable
C= Consulted
I= Informed

What it tells us:

R= Doing the task at hand
A= Liable for R and approves tasks, ultimate authority of the task
C= Two-way conversations, has information to give to R to complete task
I= One way conversations, is told of the outcomes

At Cre8tive Group we call it ARCI. Reason being that accountability in our group is where the liability lies, therefore putting it first.

Here's an example:

Notice the color coding used. From a distance you can see where the "heat" lies. The RACI can be a great tool to begin your company's Org Model. Even more, you can apply this tool to your household as well. Taking your daily projects and sorting them out to each person involved can really clear up the fog that usually follows. This organizes the team to effectively work and support each other without question.

Spot On....

Now this is organization at its finest. What is OM's latest find? It's ContractSpot.com, and like you'll usually find here, its FREE.

This is a screen shot of my account, albeit a very poor image. At the very least you can see how organized and uncluttered this main page is.

What it is: One place to find, manage and PAY (that's right!) for all of your home improvements and other service needs. You create a free account and do all of your contracting from one location.

Why I love it: Its interface is extremely streamlined and user friendly. I had no searching to do whatsoever, I just submitted my project (which was to refinish my deck) and within a day I received an inquiry from a local carpenter.

Check out the tour and test it out for yourself. Have you ever wanted to start a small business, but didn't have the necessary resources? This Spot is for you.

Jott this down...

The best way to begin our dive into Jott is its tagline "Get Simple Back".

I am a true believer of less being more and Jott is a perfect example of this. Here's how it works: 1. Call the free Jott number:(I have it programmed as a speed dial #) 2. You'll hear "Who do you want to Jott?", speak clearly and say "myself" or any name on your Jott contact list 3. Reminders can be set up (just say yes or no when prompted) 4. Your voice message will be transcribed, emailed and if sending to a contact, a text message will be sent.

Afraid it won't transcribe well enough? No worries; it sends a link to listen to it as well!

Something this innovative must be costly and messy, right? Nope! Its currently in beta, and free. I would suspect that this will change, so try it out now.

The Role: Intercession

Intercession is a unique and valid term for the action of the coordinator. Let's first look at the definition:

Dictionary.com:

1.	an act or instance of interceding.

2.	an interposing or pleading on behalf of another person.

It is because of point #2 that brings this post to notion. Everyday I am in the role of Intercession. I continually find myself communicating and persuading within two separate worlds: business and creative (left brain/right brain).

It is the role of the Coordinator to know what drives all aspects of the business towards the ultimate goal of profit. In order to intercede successfully, an understanding of who you are interceding for is required. This leads me to an article by producer Peter V. Cook which dives in to describe what drives creatives. In this article Cook takes an in depth look at five languages that motivate creatives.

"Taking inventory of your core motivations and those of your team will allow you to communicate in ways that everyone on your team will appreciate. Review your current process of offering feedback, rewards, critique and motivation through each of these 5 love languages to determine where you can improve and enhance the commitment of your team members." The 5 Love Languages of Cre8tives