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Continue with Chapter 1Back to overviewFor one week, watch for that thought. Every time it pops up, you’ve found a standing task. Any task that turned out well can become one; you just have to say so.
You: The weekly overview is great. From now on, do it every Friday at 4 PM.
He: All set. It runs from now on, even while you’re on vacation. You can change or pause it anytime with a single sentence.
One-time task: “Analyze this spreadsheet.” Done, checked off.
Standing task: “… and from now on, every Monday.” The task disappears from your desk for good.
What’s a cron job? You’ll hear the term a lot. It means exactly this: a task that’s set up once and then happens on its own, again and again. Every morning, every Monday, the first of every month, at the time you choose. Like an alarm clock, except that when it goes off, he gets to work, not you.
What can run on its own for you.
A few ideas to give you a feel for it:
Every morning at 7 AM. Your inbox is sorted, and the three most important things of the day are waiting on your phone.
Every Monday. Last week’s revenue, inquiries, and open quotes at a glance, compared with the previous month.
Every evening. Draft replies to new customer inquiries are ready and waiting.
On the first of every month. Unpaid invoices are checked and payment reminders prepared.
Every week. New reviews of your business are collected and the replies written. And he keeps an eye on your competitors’ prices.
Before every customer’s birthday. A personal birthday message, already written.
Every quarter. The receipts for your accountant are compiled and sorted.
Your marketing runs on its own.
The strongest example shows how far this goes. You want to show up regularly on Instagram and Facebook, but in the daily grind the next post never gets done? Then hand him the whole thing.
You: I want to show up regularly on Instagram and Facebook. Make me a marketing plan for the next three months, with all the content, and see it through.
He: Happy to. I suggest three posts a week, plus an ad campaign for your new offer. You’ll get the plan with topics, copy, and images for approval tomorrow morning.
From then on, it runs, week after week:
1 · Plan. A complete marketing plan: topics, dates, channels.
2 · Create. Copy, images, graphics, and short videos, in your look.
3 · Post. On time and according to plan, without you having to think about it.
4 · Advertise. He designs campaigns and runs ads, within the budget you set.
5 · Analyze. He keeps checking which ads work and which don’t, and tells you.
6 · Adjust. He changes the settings, boosts what works, and stops what doesn’t pay off. So every round starts off better than the last.
By the way, he’s a pro at Meta’s Ads Manager and Business Suite, exactly where ads for Instagram and Facebook are managed. In essence, that means he replaces your social media agency and your campaign management. And all of it can run fully automatically.
How much he decides on his own is up to you, just like in Chapter 4. At first, you approve the plan, the posts, and the budget. Once you see it working, you let him carry out the approved plan on his own. The budget remains your limit.
That’s how it works with almost everything. Whatever he can do once, he can do regularly: the newsletter every month, the landing page for every new offer, the edited video after every customer event, the report after every campaign. Think about what keeps coming up for you. That’s exactly where your next standing tasks are.
“These are the tasks that keep coming back for me: [list]. Which of them can you take over as a standing task? Give me five suggestions, most important first.”
Deadlines, progress updates, check-ins.
Good delegating doesn’t mean tossing work into a black hole. Three habits keep you in the loop without you having to ask:
Give him a deadline. “By 3 PM.” With a deadline, he works to your schedule and tells you right away if something can’t be done in time.
Ask for a progress update. “Give me an update halfway through.” That way you can correct course before the result is finished.
Agree on check-ins. “If something takes longer, let me know along the way where you’re at.” You never have to ask, “So, how far along are you?”
He reminds you, too. Of deadlines, follow-ups, and anything you’d otherwise jot down on a sticky note: “Remind me Thursday morning about the documents for the accountant.”
He, 2:10 PM: Progress update on the competitor research: two of three providers done. Worth noting: Provider B has lowered its prices. Should I put together a side-by-side comparison with our price list right away?
You: Yes, good idea.
He thinks along with you, so let him. The most valuable moment isn’t the progress update, it’s the suggestion. The more often you accept his suggestions or turn them down with a reason, the better he knows what thinking along means to you.
Do standing tasks run even when I’m not around?
Yes, even at night, on weekends, and while you’re on vacation.
How do I see everything that’s running?
Ask him: “Show me all my standing tasks.” Changing, pausing, or deleting one takes a single sentence.
Every standing task is a hand that works for you, for good.
Read everything? Then complete the chapter.
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