It's time to get out the brooms and rags to do spring cleaning in your task lists and work environment! Take the opportunity to throw out anything that is no longer needed, update what needs to be updated and focus on the most critical tasks.

Sorting and cleaning your to-do lists will have a beneficial effect on your productivity. All you have to do is block off an hour in your calendar, pour yourself a cup of coffee, start your favorite playlist, and get to work!

## Here are some steps to get your projects in order:

1. Make a list of all your current tasks - this will allow you to see the scope of your current and upcoming projects so you can anticipate a possible lack of resources and prevent potential delays. For more clarity in tracking your projects, it is recommended to use a task manager that will allow you to centralize your tasks and those of your colleagues.
2. Prioritize your tasks - this will help you focus on the most critical tasks with the shortest due dates and the most severe consequences for poor execution.
3. Evaluate your tasks - ask yourself if all tasks are necessary, still relevant, or could be updated or deleted.
4. Eliminate redundant or unnecessary tasks - free up time and resources to focus on more important tasks.
5. Update your tasks - if they need updating, change them to keep them relevant.
6. Delegate - if a task doesn't seem relevant to your skills or job description, discuss with your colleagues and supervisors whether you should delegate it to a colleague.

Beyond your task lists, you can extend your spring cleaning to your work environment. Get rid of unnecessary things and rethink your organization to make a fresh start.

1. Spend a few minutes on your personal storage space, such as a locker or drawer. File or scan documents that must be filed to eliminate unnecessary or non-functional items.
2. Your mind will be lightened with an orderly workstation. To do this, sort out your desk. Put away your documents, throw away pens that haven't had ink in months, and collect all your *Post-its* and notes encroaching on your space. A digitalized task and note manager is highly recommended to avoid forgetting information written on loose sheets.
3. Sort out your computer desktop. Computer screens are often overwhelmed with files left there "momentarily" Here is an opportunity to sort or delete them to rediscover your desktop.

Spring cleaning is a rite of passage that guarantees guaranteed satisfaction and well-being, even if sometimes perceived as a chore.

If you want to digitalize, centralize and manage tasks collaboratively within your company, request a free demo of the WEDO collaborative platform.

::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}

It's time to get out the brooms and rags to do spring cleaning in your task lists and work environment! Discover our tips.

large_task-management-the-big-spring-cleaningen (1).png

medium_task-management-the-big-spring-cleaningen (1).png

small_task-management-the-big-spring-cleaningen (1).png

thumbnail_task-management-the-big-spring-cleaningen (1).png

task-management-the-big-spring-cleaningen (1).png

Task Management: The Big Spring Clean!

## What is agility?

According to Jérôme Barrand, head of the Institute of Organisational Agility in Grenoble, agility is the capacity of a company to be reactive, flexible and innovative. It must also be able to anticipate future changes in order to adapt to them. It cannot wait for the environment in which it operates to force it to do so.

To be able to face these challenges, human-sized work teams must be learning, connected and autonomous. The aim is for everyone to find their place in the team and thus have a global vision of the company's organisational systems. Also, the agile culture advocates a light but sufficient hierarchical framework. The human element as well as communication are central to the organisation[^1] [^2]

## SCRUM method

Different methods exist to help companies in their quest for agility. SCRUM, which originated in the IT world, but which is becoming more and more popular, is one of them and is very widespread. This iterative and adaptive method always seeks a collective optimum[^3]

The first form of SCRUM appeared in an article by Takeuchi and Nonaka in 1986. They compare the so-called traditional approach to "a relay race" and the so-called holistic approach to "a rugby scrum" (SCRUM). "The relay race is a development process where teams of specialists pass the baton to each other once they have completed their task.  In contrast, in the "rugby" approach, where specialists try to complete the task by passing the ball from back to front (as in a rugby team), the development process is totally different. [^4]

Indeed, the SCRUM method, officially developed by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland a few years after this first article, is based on short cycles called "sprints". These usually last between one and four weeks. Each sprint begins with a planning meeting where the team defines the goals to be achieved and the tasks to be accomplished. During the sprint, the team works independently to achieve the defined goals. Every day, the team meets for a short follow-up meeting called "Daily SCRUM". During this meeting, each team member presents what they have accomplished since the last meeting and what they plan to do during the day.

At the end of each sprint, the team meets for a retrospective, during which they evaluate their progress and look for ways to improve the development process for the next sprints.

The SCRUM method is particularly useful for projects that are subject to frequent changes or where it is difficult to plan all the details in advance. It allows for rapid delivery of high quality products, close collaboration between team members and better responsiveness to changes. [^5]

Unlike traditional project methods, SCRUM does not plan years in advance and present a solution only at the end of the project. The goal of SCRUM is to divide the business requirements into the smallest possible increments and thus deliver many, finished results in short intervals. In this way, it is possible to take action after each sprint should a requirement or priority change. This not only saves time and costs, but also keeps the process agile and customer-oriented.

## Why WEDO is ideal for an agile company

In accordance with the above explanations, it is understood that the agile method is in fact a culture and a state of mind that must be spread throughout the company. David Preti, in his article "Doing Agile" versus "Being Agile", also shares this vision:

>Agility is not defined by a set of practices, but rather by a state of mind that one cultivates.   [^6]

WEDO presents itself as the ideal tool to cultivate this mindset and share an agile culture within the company. Indeed, thanks to WEDO, it is possible to efficiently manage the different types of meetings of the SCRUM method, but not only. The collaborative platform also allows you to be permanently connected to information and to your team members. Whether you are working from home or from the office, communication is easy. In addition, WEDO's teams and workspaces make the company more responsive and better organised. Each team member can easily consult their tasks and have a clear overview of what they have to do. This task overview can also be displayed in Kanban view, which is particularly useful for project management.

## The limits of the agile method

But then why hasn't the agile method, which sounds so beneficial in theory, already found its way into all companies?

The fifteenth edition of the State of Agile report, produced by the company [digital.ai](https://www.notion.so/Marketing-Archive-54946373b74e43eb98b5d502b858035c), provides some answers. According to the report, the main problems identified by more than 1,380 people worldwide in the adoption and practice of agile are the following:

- Inconsistent processes and practices between teams - 46%.
- Organisational culture not aligned with agile values - 43%.
- Resistance to change from the overall organisation - 42%.
- Lack of competence/experience with agile methods - 42%.
- Insufficient leadership involvement - 41%.
- Insufficient management support and sponsorship - 40%.

The report states that the main challenges mentioned above have remained largely unchanged in recent years. [^7]

Interestingly, then, these problems are not new and unknown. Other articles on this topic also point out the same limitations.

In summary, it is essential for a company that wants to implement agility sustainably into its structure to consider the points mentioned above. The list is certainly not exhaustive, but it will help the company avoid certain mistakes on its way to agility. One thing is certain: agility is a real challenge, and as the saying goes, "it's worth the effort".


**Sources :**

[^1]: BARRAND, Jérôme, 2010. L’entreprise agile : agir pour une performance durable. Paris : Dunod. Stratégies et management. ISBN 978-2-10-054346-5. 658.515.

[^2]: BARRAND, Jérôme, 2012. Le manager agile : agir autrement pour la survie des entreprises. 2e éd. Paris : Dunod. Stratégies et management. ISBN 978-2-10-057460-5. 658.401.

[^3]: SCHMITT, Christophe, 2016. De la complexité de l’action dans les organisations. ISBN 978-2-940384-36-05.

[^4]: TAKEUCHI, Hirotaka et NONAKA, Ikujiro, 1986. Stop running the relay race and take up rugby. Harvard Business Review. 1986. pp. 11.

[^5]: SCHWABER, Ken et SUTHERLAND, Jeff, 2020. The Scrum Guide:The Definitive Guide to Scrum: The Rules of the Game. novembre 2020.

[^6]: PRETI, David, « Faire de l’Agilité » versus « être Agile » - Blogue Savoir Agile. [en ligne]. [Consulté le 6 décembre 2022]. Disponible à l’adresse : [https://savoiragile.com/2017/02/07/faire-de-lagilite-versus-etre-agile/](https://savoiragile.com/2017/02/07/faire-de-lagilite-versus-etre-agile/)

[^7]: [DIGITAL.AI](http://digital.ai/), 2021. 15th Annual State Of Agile Report. 2021.

In a world where everything is moving fast and change is permanent, a company must be agile. This article will explain how to become more agile in order to better face this growing complexity.

large_When agility becomes a necessity.png

medium_When agility becomes a necessity.png

small_When agility becomes a necessity.png

thumbnail_When agility becomes a necessity.png

When agility becomes a necessity.png

When agility becomes a necessity

## What are the organizational challenges in the education sector?

For educational organizations, communication and collaboration are central and essential issues. The management of these structures must be able to actively exchange with all departments to ensure the smooth running of their institution. Management's responsibility is also to foster optimal collaboration between administrative and pedagogical teams.

In terms of collaboration, here are some challenges in the education field:

 🗓️ Managing, monitoring and ensuring the efficiency of various meetings: board of directors, deans' meetings, pedagogical meetings, bilateral meetings, team meetings, etc.

✅ Complete and review tasks of the school management and professionals, as well as of the individual departments, competence centers and partner institutions

 📋 Manage recurring procedures

---

## What hinders organizations from working together efficiently?

Employees often have to reach their objectives with limited and inefficient resources. Email remains the most common used communication channel, and it is to be criticized that few truly collaborative tools are available in everyday education.  
Another finding is that meetings are often poorly prepared, often too frequent, and sometimes interminable… in short, unproductive. However, meetings are crucial for the exchange of information. In the sector, these meetings bring together multiple actors: members of the management, administrative staff, deans, professors or teachers, as well as external stakeholders. The challenge for the management is to efficiently manage these multiple meetings while involving each participant before, during and after the meetings.  
So how do you overcome these organizational and collaborative difficulties while encouraging the digitalization of processes?

## Our solutions to improve collaboration within schools and faculties

WEDO is a collaboration tool that is perfectly suited for the internal organization of schools and faculties. Our solution is already helping many institutions to overcome their organizational challenges and improve internal communication.

![](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/2022_08_wedo_education_1_7b7a9d1792.svg)

Find out how the **WEDO platform** supports schools and faculty in their daily collaboration.

### 1\. Create a collaborative structure tailored to the education sector

Each department or service of the institution can manage its various projects organized in "workspaces". These spaces allow the institution's employees to share meetings, tasks and files. TheWEDO solution brings together all these features on a single platform. 💡Note that collaboration with external specialists is also very simple and possible without additional costs.

### 2\. Manage all meetings in one tool

From workspaces, users can manage all their meetings with WEDO: from the Board of Directors to the Deans, including pedagogical meetings and bilateral discussions. With the "Meeting" module, agendas can be prepared together as a team, minutes can be taken in real time, and assigned tasks can be tracked from one meeting to the next.

### 3\. Prepare agendas collectively

Unproductive meetings are usually the result of poor preparation. The feature that changes the daily life of management and administration is, without a doubt, the collective preparation of meetings. With WEDO, each employee can complete the agenda to prepare their contributions in advance. It is also possible to share and add documents, for all the information that will be consulted in advance or presented during the meeting (PDF, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.).

### 4\. Highlight decisions made during meetings

Meetings are often closed without having documented clearly made decisions or knowing the pending issues and their deadlines. With WEDO, it is very easy to document the decisions and delegate the associated tasks in a reliable way. The meeting minutes are always clearly organized so that the relevant information can be found immediately.

### 5\. Delegate tasks in meetings

It is possible to create tasks and delegate them immediately during the meeting. Thus, the employees involved will be operational as soon as the meeting is over. From one meeting to the next, WEDO keeps track of the tasks completed so that you can always keep an eye on the deadlines set.

### 6\. Transparent and simple communication on running tasks

The task manager integrated into the WEDO platform simplifies collaboration and communication. It is possible to comment on a task, to share information and exchange with the people involved in its completion. A notification system allows you to stay informed in case of changes or important information.

### 7\. Find information quickly

With the powerful search function integrated in WEDO, you can access the required information with just a few clicks. The search runs across the platform using keywords. In this way, users can find meeting minutes, important decisions, tasks and files that contain the keyword they are looking for.

## WEDO is the ideal tool for Schools and Faculties

WEDO is a tool that brings teams together by providing multiple opportunities to communicate and collaborate efficiently. By integrating our solution in many schools and faculties, we understand the educational sector's organizational challenges. Enhance collaboration within your institution with our features:

🗓️ Agenda preparation, real-time minute taking and tracking of delegated meeting tasks.

✅ Collaborative management of tasks through workspaces. 

▶️ Automation of workflows to improve the quality of internal processes.

![WEDO-education-2_EN.png](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/WEDO_education_2_EN_d4dae7e484.png)

These customers have chosen WEDO to collaborate efficiently in their schools:

::button-secondary[Learn more about their testimonials]{link="/industries/schools-faculties"}

Holding and tracking meetings, coordinating between departments, exchanging information and managing administration are daily challenges for the education sector. Learn how WEDO helps schools and academic institutions improve collaboration by optimizing their meeting and task management.

how-does-WEDO-help-schools-and-faculties-improve-their-collaboration.png

large_how-does-WEDO-help-schools-and-faculties-improve-their-collaboration.png

medium_how-does-WEDO-help-schools-and-faculties-improve-their-collaboration.png

small_how-does-WEDO-help-schools-and-faculties-improve-their-collaboration.png

thumbnail_how-does-WEDO-help-schools-and-faculties-improve-their-collaboration.png

How does WEDO help schools and faculties improve their collaboration?

## Management of recurrent procedures: what are the challenges?

In administrative departments, process management is an integral part of daily activities. Procedures are often summarized as lists of tasks to be performed in a predefined order. While these steps are common and everyday for educational institutions, completing them can be difficult and may challenge the institution's quality assurance. Let's explore some common obstacles together:

* A large amount of information to process through different communication channels: internal documents and notes, emails, calls, letters, etc.
* Complex organization: many employees involved in the process.
* Transversal coordination (several departments and sites involved).
* Documents that are not up to date and follow-up files that are not very collaborative, even complex (spreadsheets, Excel sheets, Word documents).
* A lack of clarity in the tasks to be accomplished (no reference document or with incomplete explanations)
* A hybrid work mode: face-to-face and remote employees.
* A lack of global communication that can jeopardize the quality of execution.
* A staff leaving the company, which hinders the completion of a procedure in cases where the former employee had the necessary know-how and knowledge.

![WEDO-education-3.png](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/WEDO_education_3_f57f4a4685.png)

Does this list remind you of situations you have experienced? Do you work in the education sector and think your procedures' conduct could be improved?

WEDO offers you the **Templates and Checklists** feature that allows you to increase the efficiency and collaboration of your departments. Find out how to automate your institution's routine procedures by quickly creating templates and generating predefined task lists.

## We help you manage your recurring procedures

### 1\. Model your recurring procedures

#### ✅ List and assign tasks

Ensure the quality and monitoring of your internal processes by creating templates for each procedure. This way, the employees get a clear and structured overview of the processes in place and the tasks for which they are responsible.

#### 📅 Plan the tasks

For each task, define deadlines relative to a reference date. When you launch a checklist based on the template, the deadlines will be automatically generated. You can then distinguish :

* Tasks to be done before the reference date
* Tasks to be done on the reference date
* Tasks to be done after the reference date

#### ↗️ Sharing information

The templates will also allow you to transmit knowledge to employees while maintaining consistency in executing procedures. Train new employees efficiently by giving them access to the checklist templates that concern them.

#### 📋Modify template tasks at any time

Does a procedure need to be reviewed? Authorized users have easy access to the model's tasks to revise it.

### 2\. Launch a checklist when the procedure is to be performed

Is your template ready? All you have to do is launch a checklist to start a procedure! Then, your colleagues instantly receive the tasks they are responsible for in their personal space.

### 3\. Collaborate and communicate easily

Communicate with your colleagues by commenting on the tasks from each current checklist. Your colleagues will be instantly notified and can exchange with you.

### 4\. Follow the progress of the procedures in progress

With this feature, your follow-up is assured, and you can :

* Analyze the progress of a specific checklist.
* Get a global view of the progress of all current checklists.
* Sort checklists according to their progress percentage or their reference date.

## Education sector: standardized procedures to ensure quality

Ensuring the quality of services to customers and partners is a significant challenge for training institutions. Many institutions obtain certifications and labels, such as the ISO standards (21001:2018) for education and training organizations. The administrative requirements to obtain these certifications are often tedious. WEDO will assist you throughout the implementation of these particular procedures. Once your institution is certified, the Templates and Checklists will ensure quality in executing your institution's internal processes.

## Some examples of procedures you could manage with WEDO in your institution

### **Management, Administration & Secretariat**

* Organization of the school start
* Material orders
* Preparation of the timetables
* Preparation of the curricula
* Annual budget
* Organization of graduation ceremonies
* Certifications & labels
* Administration of the alumni network

### **Human Resources Management**

* Entry of an employee
* Leave of an employee
* Recruitment process

### **Admissions Office**

* Student application
* Student matriculation
* Student visa

### **Pedagogical groups**

* Exam preparation
* Pedagogical days
* Organization of activities
* Organization of congresses

### **Academic events**

* Open house
* Alumni meetings
* Information events
* Special events

### **Marketing & Communication**

* Communication campaigns
* Marketing campaigns
* Translations

---

Want to test our tool to manage recurring processes in your educational institution?

::button-primary[Try WEDO for free]{link="/signup"}

These customers have chosen WEDO to collaborate efficiently in their schools:

::button-secondary[Learn more about their testimonials]{link="/industries/schools-faculties"}

In administrative services, process management is an integral part of daily activities. Do you work in the education sector and think your procedures could be improved? WEDO offers the Templates and Checklists feature to help you track and collaborate on your processes. In this article, you will find out how to automate the recurring processes in your educational institution.

Try WEDO for Free