You may have heard the expression “mise en place,” most often in regard to cooking. Why are we talking about this, you may ask, as we are definitely not cooks … though our managing partner did make delicious brownies that one time. Well, mise en place — defined most commonly as “putting ingredients in place” in terms of kitchen prep — can really be applied to anything, like a social media campaign, an RFP for a big construction job, or a pitch packet for a potential seller.
Whatever your upcoming task or project might be, we can practically guarantee you that you will be more successful if you get organized before diving in head first, and establish from the get-go what your follow-up will be. Determine what collateral you need, make a list of all the elements required, and create a time line for yourself that includes all of the elements of the project on which you’re working. Giving yourself these guidelines and deadlines will ensure you dot the i’s and cross the t’s. If you’re a real estate agent, your mise en place might mean making a list of possible questions your potential clients might ask. If you’re a hotel or resort executing a social media campaign, add to your list of to-dos to check in on any content you post and respond to your followers, who may be future guests. If you’re putting together a proposal for a building project, create a laundry list of all the elements outlined in the RFP, indicating which team members will be responsible for each item, and share this list with your team. Once everything is “put in place,” you can begin, and hopefully you’ll find that your path to completion is a smooth one.
Need any help getting organized and coming up with a game plan for an upcoming project? I love prep and planning, and I would be happy to help put YOUR plan in place.
-Frances Pearson