The Together Teammate

Strengthen and enhance your school support staff

Are you a supporting team member who is tasked with both planning ahead and answering the phone every time it rings? In The Together Teammate, The Together Group Founder and CEO Maia Heyck-Merlin delivers a step-by-step action plan for school and nonprofit behind-the-scenes team members who keep things running smoothly! With clear advice, samples from operations and support roles, reflection questions and modifiable templates, this book will help teammates to strengthen their systems and keep all the trains running on time!

Readers will also find:

• Strategies for refining their organizational and time management systems in order to best support the missions of their organizations
• Techniques for planning ahead and prioritizing accordingly
• Ways to juggle multiple proactive projects and maintain strong customer service

A comprehensive and practical guide for anyone who works behind-the-scenes in a mission-driven environment, such as nonprofits, schools, and foundations, The Together Teammate will also prove invaluable for project managers, IT associates, office managers, finance coordinators, executive assistants, chiefs of staff, and anyone who has both proactive and responsive aspects to their roles.

Section 1: Take Stock: Know Your Role and Set Your Priorities 1

Chapter 1: Introduction – The Who, What, and Why of Togetherness for Teammates 3

What Is Togetherness,

Anyway? Why This Book Matters to Me

Who, Specifically, This Book Is For

Why Togetherness Matters Behind the Scenes

Together Try- Its

How This Book Is Arranged

How To Make The Most of This Book

Let’s Get the Together Party Started!

Chapter 2: Get Crystal Clear – Roles, Priorities, and Targets, Oh My! 17

What Is Your Actual Job? Get Clear on the Outcomes and Inputs

Define Success in Your Together Teammate Role – Set Those Priorities and Targets

Get Your Own Priorities in Order

Track for Yourself and Share Progress

Year- at- a- Glance – Map It Across a Calendar

Shelly’s Year-at-a-Glance Eryn’s Year-at-a-Glance

Build Your Year- at- a- Glance

Turbo Togetherness

Manager Moment

Together Tour: Ashley 37

Together Teammate Self-Assessment: Consider Your Current Organizational Tools, Habits, and Routines 39

Section 2: Get Yourself Together: Create Your Together Tools 43

Chapter 3: Look Far Forward – Create a Comprehensive Calendar 45

Why Invest in a Long- Term Calendar?

Comprehensive Calendar Samples

Select a Calendar Tool

Build Your Own Comprehensive Calendar

How to Use Your Comprehensive Calendar

Turbo Togetherness

Chapter 4: Build a Long- Term List – Yup, This Is Everything! 61

Why Keep a Long-Term List

Long-Term List Samples

Select Your Long-Term List Tool

Build Your Long-Term List

Routines to Make Use of Your Long-Term List

Turbo Togetherness

Manager Moment

Together Tour: Kevin 80

Chapter 5: Break Down the Big Stuff – Project Planning 83

Determine What Needs a Project Plan – and What Doesn’t

Create a Project Summary

Project Plan Samples

Build Your Project Plan

Communicate About the Project With Others

Plan for the Unexpected Because It Always Happens – Trust Me

Integrate with Your Together Tools

Turbo Togetherness

Manager Moment

Chapter 6: Fill with Staples, Make Room for Snacks – Build a Weekly Worksheet 109

The Purpose of Planning for a Week

Components of a Weekly Worksheet

Weekly Worksheet Samples

Personalize Your Weekly Worksheet Tool(s)

Practice Building Your First Weekly Worksheet

Put Your Weekly Worksheet into Action

Turbo Togetherness

Chapter 7: Host a Meeting with Yourself – and Prep for the Week Ahead 131

Meeting with Yourself: The Why Meeting with Myself Checklist Samples

Build Your Own Meeting with Myself Checklist

Create the Conditions to Successfully Meet with Yourself

Communicating After Your Meeting with Yourself

Turbo Togetherness

Manager Moment

Together Tour: Brett 153

Put It All Together: Build Your Together System 155

Chapter 8: Get Those Inboxes in Check – Set Up Your Digital Life 159

Set Up Your Inboxes for Success

Get Your Digital Documents in Order

Dealing With All That Other Digital Clutter

Turbo Togetherness

Chapter 9: Plan for the Pivot – Deal with the Daily Deluge 175

The Innocent Interruption

Move Swiftly Through Your Inbox(es)

Systematically Capture Incoming New Requests

Pause To Plan Your Pivot – and Then Communicate

Turbo Togetherness

Manager Moment

Together Tour: Fiama 203

Section 3: Get the Team Together: Teammate Tricks To Move the Work Forward 207

Chapter 10: Craft Clear Communications to Move Others to Action 209

What Methods Does Your Organization Use to Communicate?

Write Your Messages with a Bias Toward Results

Send the Newsletters, Memos, and Notes – Oh, My!

Turbo Togetherness

Manager Moment

Chapter 11: Make the Most of Your Meetings – Before, During, and After 229

Get Clear on Your Role in Each Meeting You Attend

Make the Most of Meetings With Your Manager

Manage Meetings for a Group or Team

Planning for the Next Several Meetings – And Not Just Today’s!

Take Notes in Meetings – And Own the Follow- Up

Be the Meeting Manager – Own the Meeting Start to Finish

Turbo Togetherness

Manager Moment

Chapter 12: Peek Around the Bend – Forecasting into the Future 261

Supporting Others to Forecast

Support Stakeholders with Forecasting

Turbo Togetherness

Together Tour: Lola 274

Chapter 13: Systems Spotting – If You See Something, Say Something! 277

Turn Up Your Systems Antennae

Turn Pain Points into Smooth Systems

Create Systems to Support Other Humans

Shannon’s Supply Order Form

The Call to Codify – Why?

Turbo Togetherness

Manager Moment

Chapter 14: Own the Outcomes: Take Charge, Especially When You Are Not the Boss! 297

What Is Owning the Outcome and Why Does It Matter?

Ask Questions to Clear the Cobwebs (Aka Get Clear on the Outcome)

Track Progress Toward the Outcome

Turbo Togetherness

Manager Moment

Together Test 314

Chapter 15: Togetherness Is a Journey, Not a Destination 317

Recall the Meaning of Your Work

Walk the Togetherness Path with Others

You Are Now a Together Teammate! (You Probably Already Were)

Total Together Tours

Goodbye, Be Well, and Be Together

Contributors 327

Acknowledgments 329

About the Authors 331

Index 333

MAIA HEYCK-MERLIN is the Founder and CEO of The Together Group, where she trains educators on time management, efficiency, and more. Previously, Maia served as Chief Talent Officer and Chief Operating Officer for Achievement First, a charter school management organization. She is author of The Together Teacher and The Together Leader.

An invaluable bag of tricks for support staff at schools, nonprofits, and beyond

Those of us who work behind the scenes at schools and other mission-driven organizations know—these programs simply would not function without us. Yet we rarely receive the support we need to keep everything running smoothly. The Together Teammate is full of strategies and techniques for doing just that. You’ll get hands-on resources and advice for organizing your time, collaborating efficiently, and proactively managing projects.

With workbook-type activities, project templates, practice sections, online material, and reflection questions, The Together Teammate is a toolkit that you can use to make life easier starting today—and one that you’ll appreciate in years to come as you build skills for your next role.

“Maia has done it again! Through powerful tools, practical tips, and personal wisdom accumulated through a career as an educator and nonprofit leader, Maia demystifies the ‘magic’ behind getting things done. The Together Teammate fills the void in speaking to the unique challenges and pressures experienced by those in the vast workplace middle—not yet leading organizations, but nonetheless doing significant and complex work. This book is a must-read for any team member looking to increase their effectiveness, conquer the chaos, and experience the awesome feeling of togetherness.”
—MICHAEL CORMACK, Deputy Superintendent, Jackson Public Schools