If you looked at the image from our project plan in the last chapter, you might notice that the ‘assigned’ column is blank. You have not yet assigned a specific person to perform each step. This almost guarantees the steps will not be completed. You have to assign steps to specific people to perform on specific days.

If you’re working as a solo community manager, this stage might be easy. You have to do every step whether you like it or not. If you have a team, you should consider carefully who is the best person to complete each task.

As tempting (and as efficient) as it might be to assign work to your colleagues, it’s usually better not to drop new work and responsibilities on them without their input. This is where egos and personalities can collide with tactics and derail your lovingly crafted strategy. You don’t want people to feel forced into the project.

You want them to be motivated and eager to contribute to the project. This is a bigger topic than we can cover here. However, one key principle really matters.

Don’t tell your team what to do, let them tell you what they want to do

This is a combination of abilities and passion. The most talented person is not going to do a great job on a task they do not enjoy. This is why you need to identify who has the talent to perform each task and who has the interest in performing each task. This concept was best explained by Jenn Lopez at Moz.