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188: The Small Team Strategy: How Breaking Into Groups Can Supercharge Your Projects

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This transcript has been automatically generated.

Bonnie Christine:
Well, hey there. Welcome back to The Professional Creative. Today, I'm diving into a topic that has transformed how my team and I work on big projects. It's really about the power of working in smaller groups within our larger team. Whether it's designing for shop Flowerie or hosting our conference Immersion live or planning for a free event like pattern week, breaking our core team into smaller focus groups has been a game changer that I'm excited to break down for you today. So even if you don't have a team, I think that understanding the power of working in small groups, even if they're peers, can be a game changer for you as well. And if you do have a team and you're curious about boosting efficiency and fostering collaboration and managing big projects more effectively, well, this one's for you. I'm Bonnie Christine, and this is where all things creativity, design, business, and marketing unite.

Bonnie Christine:
I'm a mama living in a tiny town tucked right inside the Smoky Mountains running a multi 7 figure business, doing the most creative and impactful work of my life. But when I first set out to become an entrepreneur, I was struggling to make ends meet and wrestling with how to accomplish my biggest dream of becoming a fabric designer. Fast forward to today, I'm not only licensing my artwork all over the world, but also teaching others how to design their creative life and experience the same success. I'm here to help you spend your life doing something that lights you up. I'll help you build a creative business that also creates an impact, changes people's lives, gives you all of the freedom you want and is wildly profitable. Welcome to The Professional Creative Podcast. My team is small but mighty. There are 13 of us, including me.

Bonnie Christine:
About half are full time and half are part time, and this does not include our contractors. So we also work with several contractors for different things in the business, but our core team is made up of 13 of us. So let's talk about why small groups work. Why break in smaller groups in the first place? Well, here's what I've learned. When you're tackling really big projects, keeping everyone in the same room or meeting can be overwhelming and honestly counterproductive. So smaller groups help to really sharpen our focus. Everyone knows their specific task or objection. It's helps encourage deeper collaboration, like fewer voices mean more meaningful discussions.

Bonnie Christine:
Have you ever experienced this? It's like there's a sweet spot in number of people, let's say, on a Zoom brainstorming call. And to me, that's about 3 to 5. Anything more than that, and it it actually becomes kind of quiet because people feel more intimidated to speak up or they don't wanna take everyone's time. And so there's kind of this sweet spot for really meaningful discussions. It also builds trust. I love our small groups on the team because it really fosters closer relationships and stronger friendships among the team and a lot of respect across the teams. If you can imagine, we kind of work, I don't know, sometimes we work in silos and then sometimes we work in 2 different sides of the business, kind of the delivery supporting of students and then the public facing, like news sharing marketing side. And so anytime we can cross those teams and, let's say, have someone from customer service work with someone on the marketing team, it's really beautiful to see the relationship that blossoms from that.

Bonnie Christine:
So I'll give you a couple of examples from my own team. The first one is our ecommerce shop called Flowerie, and we launched this as a soft beta launch in November. Now for this project, we divided into smaller groups for product design, website development, and marketing strategy. And each group had its own kind of mini meetings, our own goals, and our own timelines. And by the time we brought everything together, put a really clear vision with well developed pieces. But someone who's, you know, working on the marketing strategy doesn't necessarily need to be involved in the product design meetings. And so we kind of break them apart and then come together with 1 big meeting a week so that we can all get updates, kind of surface level updates, on what everybody is doing. The second one is our conference called Immersion Live.

Bonnie Christine:
This event is massive. It's held in October of every year, and it is an enormous undertaking. So by creating smaller task forces like event logistics, speaker coordination, and the attendee experience, we really work to avoid bottlenecks and also empower each group to take ownership of their own part. I think that that's probably one of the biggest gifts of smaller groups is that you can really give ownership of different areas to people. Meaning, when it's everybody's responsibility, it's no one's. If you are a mom, then you probably know exactly what I'm talking about. I feel like the bigger the group, like, the more adults, sometimes it ends up being, like, actually the least safe situation for the kids because everyone assumes that everyone else is watching the kids. And so when it's a smaller group, let's say, you know, 4 adults and 6 kids, well, the adults are all over it.

Bonnie Christine:
They have ownership of watching the kids. Right? But when it's 20 adults and something like 35 kids, it's a different story. So it's kinda the same on the team. Tools and techniques. So I wanna dive in and discuss 2 specific frameworks that have really transformed how the team approaches problem solving and project execution. I didn't develop either of these. In fact, I learned them from Dan Martell in his book, Buy Back Your Time, such a great book. So they are the 1-3-1 framework, perfect for decision making and empowering your team, and the 10-80-10 model, which is a delegation strategy that ensures efficiency while maintaining control.

Bonnie Christine:
So let's talk about the 1-3-1 framework. It's my favorite answer to when someone brings me a question. If you are a leader or a CEO or a manager of anyone, you've probably been in this situation. Someone comes to you with a problem, and they wait for you to solve it. It happens to all of us in both scenarios. I know I've done the same thing on both sides of the coin. But the challenge is that if you're constantly solving every problem yourself, you become a bottleneck for your team. You're training them to lean on you.

Bonnie Christine:
And decision fatigue is a real thing, and that's where the 1-3-1 framework comes in. Now to be clear, I didn't do this for so long. I didn't have the tool, the 1-3-1 tool to use. And so the first iteration of this was when I learned to say, well, what would you do? Before that, I would just solve it or give my opinion. Meaning, the team would come to me with a problem or a question and, like, of course, I have an opinion. Of course, I have a way that I would do that. Right? But, eventually, you need to empower the people who are working for you or with you to use their own thinking strategies. And as soon as you go ahead and share your opinion or how you would do it, you are really robbing them of the invitation to think through it themselves and develop their thinking skills, but also, again, training them to just continually ask you because, of course, you have an opinion.

Bonnie Christine:
So, again, the first iteration for this was me responding, well, what would you do? And I started doing this about 4 or 5 years ago. And then I developed or I I moved in and developed myself into the 1-3-1 framework. So here's how it works. One problem, the team member identifies one clear specific problem that they need help with. They there can be no vague descriptions like, well, the website isn't working. Instead, it should be, we've identified that users are receiving an error message on the checkout page when they click place order. So then give me 3 possible solutions. The team member suggests 3 possible solutions to the problem.

Bonnie Christine:
So no more, I don't know what to do or what would you do. Right? They must come to you with 3 possible approaches. So for example, we could, 1, investigate if it's the payment processor issue. 2, check the recent plugin updates that might have caused this, or 3, revert to a previous version of the checkout process, and then one recommendation. Finally, the team member gives one recommendation based on what they would believe is the best approach, and this builds the decision making confidence into your team while giving you a clear and concise way to weigh in. So, for example, they might say, I recommend we start by checking the payment processor as this has caused issues in the past. And then this problem has all of a sudden transformed into, like, a green check, like a red light or a green light from you. You can give your feedback and weigh in so you're not completely looped out, but it has become a much easier decision for you.

Bonnie Christine:
So, again, that's the 1-31-. What is the one problem? What are 3 possible solutions? And what is your one recommendation? This works because it significantly reduces the mental load of the leader or the manager. It also forces the team member to think critically and be resourceful and feel more ownership over their role. And then it also makes things faster. It makes for cleaner decision making since you're not sifting through a bunch of random ideas or trying to ideate them all on your own anyways. Okay. So recently, here's an example. One of our team members used the 1-3-1 approach to tackle an issue with our focus to flourish class.

Bonnie Christine:
So the problem is that our old flourish planner was still being mentioned in the course content, but it's no longer available. So rather than just telling me, like, hey. We have a problem. She did the 1-3-1, and I loved it. So one problem, the flourish planner is referenced in the focus to flourish course, but it's no longer available and it's confusing students. Three possible solutions, rerecord the affected course segments, add a written disclaimer at the beginning of the course, or 3, remove or blur the mention of the flourish planner in post production, and then the recommendation. Her suggestion was to add a clear written disclaimer at the start of the course content, which was simple, fast, and effective, but then rerecord it as soon as possible. It was great.

Bonnie Christine:
I didn't have to spend 30 minutes brainstorming. I just gave the thumbs up. The problem was solved faster than if I'd started from scratch. And so we've already done all of this. We added the disclaimer, and then I just rerecorded this course. It was put kind of on my docket, not as an urgent request, but something to do next time I was recording. And we are about to move it into post editing and release the new version. So it worked really, really well, and I can't tell you from a leader perspective.

Bonnie Christine:
Like, if you report to someone and you're listening to this, this is the fastest way to just be their favorite person. If you reduce their cognitive load, if you have solutions, if you come with solutions and not just problems, you are going to be just such a gift to your leader or your manager. Do you ever look at beautiful patterns on fabric or gift wrap and think, could I create something like that? Imagine seeing your designs come to life in the same way. Well, now you can with Start Simple, my free mini class series in fabric, gift wrap, and wallpaper design. And yes, it's totally beginner friendly. No experience needed. Imagine taking a simple sketch or doodle and transforming it into a beautiful pattern ready to print and hold in your own hands. In these quick, beginner friendly classes, I'll guide you step by step through the essentials, doodling, turning your doodles into digital art, creating custom color palettes, and creating your very first repeating pattern.

Bonnie Christine:
And the best part, you'll finish with a real product. I'll teach you how to export and upload to my favorite places to get your own custom fabric, gift wrap, or wallpaper in your hands. It's amazing to see your vision brought to life in this way. Whether you're looking to play or explore or maybe even kick start a whole new side hustle, Start Simple is the perfect way to get started. Plus, it's absolutely free. Go sign up at bonniechristine.com/startsimple. I can't wait to see what you make. This is the perfect, no pressure, joyful way to explore your creativity.

Bonnie Christine:
Sign up today at bonniechristine.com/startsimple, and let's make something beautiful together. Okay. So the next one is the 10-80-10 model. And I'm sure you've heard of this before. Sometimes we laugh and we're like, I think that was more like 8-75-15. That didn't even add up to a 100. Don't check my math. So let's let's just get real.

Bonnie Christine:
I think delegation is so incredibly hard. And as the creative entrepreneur, your work is incredibly personal. It's your baby. So handing over projects to someone 100% can feel like giving away a part of your soul. I get it. I feel the same way. But if you don't delegate, you'll never be able to grow and you'll be spending too much of your time outside of your zone of genius. So that's where the 10-80-10 model comes in.

Bonnie Christine:
This approach lets you stay involved in the most critical parts of the process, but remove yourself in the middle and empower your team to take ownership. So here's how it works. The first 10% is the vision. So at the beginning of a project, you're right there with your team, or maybe you're solo and you're shaping the vision. You're setting the tone. You're establishing the expectations. This is where you make sure everyone understands the project's purpose, the goals, the scope. It's like the opening scene of a movie.

Bonnie Christine:
This is where the story is set, the characters are introduced, and the stakes are made clear. During this 10%, you should define the big picture and the ultimate goal, the end result. You should share any past references, materials, or lessons learned from other similar projects, and you should clarify roles, responsibilities, and deadlines. Then the middle 80%, which is kind of the execution part, is independent. Here's the magic, it's not you. Once the vision is clear, you step away, and the 80% of the project right there in the middle is done by someone else or a team of other people. It's their time to take charge, make decisions, solve problems. And as a leader, this is when you stay out of the weeds.

Bonnie Christine:
What this looks like in practice is no more micromanaging, no checking in every 10 minutes. You trust your team to deliver based on the initial 10% vision that you set. Then you get to the final 10. The final 10% is, let's call it your fairy dust, that sprinkle that only you have. Once the work is done, it comes back to you to sprinkle on your fairy dust. This is where you get to add your magic. You're not redoing or overworking or overdoing anything, and that's crucial. You're simply reviewing and adding that final layer of polish.

Bonnie Christine:
Saying the things that you would say only in the way that you would say them, or tweaking the design exactly how you would have it. At this point, you should review, not redo. If it requires an entire redo, you've gotta go all the way back to the beginning and see where it went wrong. And spoiler alert, it's your fault. If the whole project went wrong, it's because your first 10% didn't do the job. That's my take. If you haven't read Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink, you'll you'll understand. Everything's always your fault.

Bonnie Christine:
You've gotta take extreme ownership. So if you set your team up right in the first 10%, you won't be redoing everything. Okay. So avoid redoing the whole project. Something that might be helpful is if it's not exactly how you would do it, ask yourself, but is it wrong? And it might be wrong. And if it is wrong, then you've gotta kinda go back and correct it. But if it's just different, not wrong, but it's just different, maybe it's okay to let it go. If you find yourself redoing something went wrong in the first 10%, go ahead and now start to add your 10%, that wow factor.

Bonnie Christine:
Maybe it's an extra flourish or a personal note or an aesthetic upgrade that you could add or that one photo that you forgot about. Then provide constructive feedback for the future. If something didn't meet your expectations, then explain how and why so that the mistake is never made again, and your team can really learn from it. This works because you get to maintain creative control and add your finishing touch without losing control. Your team feels empowered, they get to work independently. This gives them that intrapreneurship level of ownership, and your final product still feels authentic and completely aligned with your vision. So here's a real life example. Earlier this month, I hosted pattern week.

Bonnie Christine:
And if you were there, you know, it was a pretty big event with a ton of moving parts, and here's how we made it happen. It started with me and Jodi, our marketing director. We sat down together to hash out all the big picture details. We made decisions on the dates, the platform we'd use to host it, and we outlined the key elements that absolutely needed to be in place for it to feel on brand and seamless and impactful. Then we mapped out the vision. This was the first 10%. Then we handed it off to the team to take it from there. This is the magic of that 10-80-10 model.

Bonnie Christine:
The team took ownership of the middle 80%, and I stayed out of it. They took charge of tasks like writing the copy, building out the landing pages, handling the technical logistics for hosting the event, and even figuring out the best place for us to build community throughout pattern week. They had ownership, they had clarity, and most importantly, they had my trust. I wasn't hovering over them every single step of the way. Then once it was all together, I came back in for the final 10%. This is where I got to add my final touch. I tweaked the messaging. I refined the visuals, and I just made sure everything aligned with our brand and felt super cohesive.

Bonnie Christine:
I call this the fairy dust phase because it's where I get to sprinkle in that little bit of magic and that touch that elevates everything from good to great. And that is yours. You, as the entrepreneur, are the person who has that touch that you have to put as the last 10%. And that's the beauty of the 10-80-10. I didn't have to be involved in every minute detail, build out, or make every tech decision. Instead, I got to focus on the parts that only I could do, and that's in my zone of genius. And for my team, it gave them the chance to step into leadership and make decisions and have complete ownership over their roles as well. It's a win win for everyone.

Bonnie Christine:
So if you're constantly feeling like you are the one making every single decision in your business, I promise you're not alone, and this model will change your life. Start with the first 10, let your team do the 80, and then step back until it's time to do the final 10 to bring it all home. If you want your team to thrive, you've got to step back, but not completely. Break into smaller groups for big projects. The 1-3-1 framework teaches your team how to bring you fully formed ideas, not just raw problems. And the 10-80-10 model allows you to stay creative while giving your team space to lead and making sure that you always feel like you are fully enveloped in the projects at hand. So here's some questions for yourself. Are you solving too many of your team's problems? Are you too involved in every project from start to finish? If the answer is yes to either of those, try one of these frameworks or both of them, and tell your team about them as well so that they know it's coming.

Bonnie Christine:
You'll feel lighter, your team will feel stronger, and your projects will be better. In fact, have them listen to this episode so that they can really understand what an impact this is gonna make. My friends, create the beauty that you want to see come alive in the world, And remember, there's room for you.

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I'm Bonnie Christine.

ARTIST  //  PATTERN DESIGNER  //  TEACHER

Thanks for joining me in this journey. I can't wait to help you to craft a career you love!

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