Making a balanced work schedule isn’t easy. Especially when it comes to your entire team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But maintaining a balanced work schedule for your team is the only sustainable way to maximize their capacity without overworking them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Finding that sweet spot becomes easy if you learn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n We\u2019ll help you figure it all out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A work schedule consists of a list of tasks, activities, and events to be done by your team, organized chronologically on a timeline, calendar, or a simple spreadsheet.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It contains information about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is one of those obvious things that still need to be brought up and examined regularly. Because they\u2019re just that important..<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And challenging at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the schedule is balanced, team members aren\u2019t overloaded with work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, they have less stress and are less prone to burnout. Since 82% of employees<\/a> say they aren\u2019t at their best when stressed, creating a balanced work schedule benefits your team members and<\/em> your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A balanced schedule is the cornerstone of a healthy agency operating at full speed sustainably<\/em>\u2014without burning through employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can see some team members aren\u2019t pulling their weight while others are getting crushed by their workloads, you can easily rebalance it to make sure everyone\u2019s doing well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, why bother making a work schedule?<\/p>\n\n\n\n All project managers know the struggle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You make the perfect puzzle out of your team\u2019s workloads<\/a>, only to realize that some of them can\u2019t make it due to planned time offs or other projects at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if you work with a remote team<\/a>, local holidays, time zones, and flexible work hours make it even harder to schedule work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeping on top of the moving pieces is easier with a team schedule. It helps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll probably still find yourself googling \u201c[time zone] vs [your time zone]\u201d to double-check, but you\u2019ll have way fewer surprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat gets scheduled, gets done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ever heard that quote? There\u2019s something about being committed to your goals that makes you more likely to put in the work to achieve them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But scheduling your work is more than committing to a deadline. It\u2019s a way to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you not only commit to the work, you consistently make it more effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Better time management leads to more efficient operations, happier clients, and profitable projects.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Schedule visibility is a crucial element of project management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When your team regularly updates their work progress, everyone involved can stay up to date. Consequently, this improves work clarity and promotes transparency, making team communication better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For remote teams, this is a game-changer.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If somebody gets stuck on a task, others will be able to see and jump in to help. Or, if someone finishes a task before the due date, they can help lend a hand where they\u2019re needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most team scheduling tools<\/a> provide multiple ways to update progress\u2014team members can leave task status updates and progress notes. In addition, they can collaborate on the spot by using file attachments and leaving comments. This way, everything gets done, and nobody logs out of work feeling like they\u2019ve barely made it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So even if your team is working from home, they\u2019re always supported and in good shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Better work\/life balance = happier team and reduced employee turnover<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But also, we can\u2019t discount the pure business benefit that comes with it: it helps you ensure the quality of their work is really top-notch!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you seen what a motivated and energized employee can do when they set their mind to it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, if not, a good team schedule will give you the opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your clients probably won\u2019t complain about it, either. \ud83d\ude09<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The are some issues that are otherwise difficult to spot, especially remotely, like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, an employee is going on leave next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you know it ahead of time, you can organize to take over their responsibilities and ensure the project doesn\u2019t suffer from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If not, you\u2019ll have to scramble last minute and potentially compromise the quality of work or miss a due date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s do another example\u2014A team member struggling to deliver work on time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A quick glance at their workload suggests they might be overwhelmed\u2014they confirm they\u2019re stressed out, so you redistribute some of their work, update the capacity change, and help them get some breathing room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or, you don\u2019t know there\u2019s an issue, and you don\u2019t react until they come to you already burnt out with a pile of work they can\u2019t do. Now you have to figure out how to support them and still<\/em> get the work done<\/p>\n\n\n\n A good schedule can be the difference between chaos and clarity at work.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously, work schedules aren\u2019t one-size-fits-all because different roles and responsibilities require different availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So we can see a couple of different types of work schedules:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, we mostly focus mostly on flexible work schedules followed by creative agencies and remote teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick summary of the steps to make an employee work schedule:<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to make a work schedule for your team?<\/p> Pick what makes sense considering your industry, type of work, local laws, business needs, and scheduling challenges.<\/p> <\/li> Capacity is the total potential time a team member can work in a given period of time. Whereas, availability is the actual available time considering time off, weekends, and other public holidays.<\/p> <\/li> Monitor the situation and keep checking how you can support everyone\u2014don\u2019t just settle for what worked last month.<\/p> <\/li> Encourage time off, but make sure you\u2019re prepared ahead of time to handle it. Plan contingencies to stay on the project’s schedule with backup resources.<\/p> <\/li> Balance the workload. Ensure everyone gets time off. And keep track of who might want to work extra shifts.<\/p> <\/li> Avoid overlapping tasks or double-booking employees. Have a clear overview of the schedule. Maintain communication. Establish clear time-off policies<\/p> <\/li> Make it a rule to communicate openly and as soon as possible, so you have enough time to react to any curveball that comes your way.<\/p> <\/li><\/ol><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Let’s dive into each step in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carefully consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For creative agencies, consultancies, and remote teams, a flexible schedule is often the most natural option.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n But does it make sense for your situation? Here are some questions you\u2019ll need to answer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, you\u2019ll want to ensure your team has enough time and energy to work. That means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The thing is, your team members\u2019 availability and capacity will inevitably fluctuate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some employees will need a break, some will want to prioritize other things in life, while others are doing more and better than ever.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Often all at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key is to monitor these fluctuations and accommodate them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n Never settle for the first solution that works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maintaining a schedule is like taking care of a plant: you constantly need to pay attention to it and make sure it has all it needs to thrive.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll need to water it more in the summer. But if you do the same in winter, it could start to wilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And when was the last time you repotted it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n So always keep checking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pro tip: Use past data (like time tracking<\/a> info) to find out how long tasks\/projects take historically to help you judge workloads.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n Do any team members plan to go on a vacation in the near term (month) or long-term (quarter, year)?<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s great! Regular time off to rest and recharge their batteries should be encouraged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Otherwise, not only will they get miserable, their availability and work quality will start plummeting as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But<\/em>, you want to know it upfront so you can plan accordingly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n With an accurate overview ahead of time, you can take the necessary steps to make sure nothing slips.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n Maybe you\u2019ll need to train another employee to take over temporarily. Awesome\u2014you have the time for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe you need to find reinforcements outside of the agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sooner you know, the better you can handle it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is important and much trickier than it sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ideally, you\u2019d know exactly how everyone is doing, what they need, and how to support them, right? But with remote teams, it\u2019s really hard to tell sometimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Especially if people don\u2019t reach out and inform you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, making everything visible on the team schedule is the first step toward fostering a transparent, fair culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some tips for creating a fair work schedule for your team:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often, just by bringing visibility to your team’s work schedule, you\u2019ll trigger a few lightbulb moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe an employee realizes they have the capacity for more, and they can help take the pressure off of someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Or maybe they see other people\u2019s schedules fluctuating, so they feel more relaxed asking for time off, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All wins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scheduling conflicts are those impossible moments when you have multiple high-level priority responsibilities that need your attention at the same time. You\u2019re writing a piece for one client, but on the same day, you\u2019re supposed to be writing a landing page for a different project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019re basically required at two places at once.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n So, unless you can clone yourself (or your team), your best bet is to prevent chaos altogether. And how do you avoid scheduling conflicts?<\/p>\n\n\n\n And always have a backup plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A lot of scheduling really boils down to communication<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Timing is crucial when you have to react to a sudden capacity gap when someone leaves, or when you need to communicate to your client that you need an extension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some tips to communicate the work schedule with your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not about perfect policies. You\u2019ll improve as you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But establishing a good system, being open about the fact that you\u2019re learning as well, and encouraging open communication from your team is the road to success.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are plenty of work scheduling tools<\/a> out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From spreadsheets to sophisticated project management and employee scheduling software, pretty much any tool you pick will have some scheduling capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s start with the basics: <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use the \u201cSimple Gantt chart\u201d template<\/a> for a great visual of your timeline:<\/p>\n\n\n Add and assign tasks with due dates, dependencies, and percent completed functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gantt charts<\/a> are a great way to see your team\u2019s schedule at a glance\u2014the visual breakdown makes a project manager\u2019s life easier:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can start using this work schedule template or build your own in Microsoft Excel<\/a>. But keep in mind that this isn\u2019t a project management tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are PM situations when it won\u2019t be enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the pros and cons of using Excel:<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is a work schedule?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The importance of scheduling work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Enables managers to stay on top of work plans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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2. Helps meet deadlines with better time management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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3. Facilitates better communication and workload sharing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Helps to maintain healthy team workloads and avoid burnout<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Makes it easier to identify and react to potential scheduling issues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Types of work schedules<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to make a perfect work schedule in 7 steps?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Choose a type of schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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2. Ensure team availability and capacity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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3. Analyze their workloads<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/toggl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/workload-management.png\")
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4. Consider time off and vacation requests<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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5. Create a schedule that\u2019s fair to everyone<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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6. Avoid scheduling conflicts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/toggl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/illus-drag-drop-timeline-2x-1024x661.png\")
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7. Communicate the schedule at least 7-14 days in advance <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Work scheduling tools: the key to success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How do you create a schedule in Excel?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/toggl.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/excel-gantt-chart.png\")
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