Are you looking to step up your game as a multitasking solo Admin ninja? Or maybe you’d like to build a team of incredible Salesforce professionals that work together like a well oiled machine?
Read on for our essential tips and tricks to help you excel in your Salesforce career, no matter what your role!
Solo Admin Tips
As a Solo Admin it’s incredibly important you put measures in place to ensure you can manage your workload effectively, make time for development, and know where to find help when you don’t have a team.
Formalize your process
Just because you’re a team of one, you work on a single cloud, or you work for a smaller company, does not mean your processes should be informal! It’s not fair to you and it’s not fair to your company or users. Creating formal processes, such as a change request process, can help set expectations and get you the information you need in the format you require.
Find Super Users
The best thing I’ve done as a Solo Admin was to set up a super user community. I have a dedicated super user for each key area of the business or for each main country. They act as my first line support, handle training in their area and also act as a great sounding board to bounce ideas off. On top of that, they are strong users of Salesforce and are constantly liaising with other users, providing invaluable feedback and suggestions for improvement.
Proactive and personal development
Working as a Solo Admin can sometimes be slightly limiting, with less exposure to products, features and best practice, so it’s incredibly important you are proactive about your own learning and development.
Continuous learning helps you stay motivated and prevents boredom when the day job gets a bit samey. It’s also a great way to stay engaged, interact with the community, and boost your feelings of confidence and self-worth. Personal development is key for anyone with feelings of imposter syndrome.
Get help from the community
Confused? Lost? It’s ok, we’ve all been there. And while Google is your friend, there are times you won’t be able to work things out on your own.
There is a huge community of like-minded individuals: bonded through our use of Salesforce, our love of Salesforce, and occasionally our frustrations with Salesforce! The community is a safe space for your questions, there is no such thing as a stupid question. I promise that if you’re thinking it then someone else has thought it before.
Where can you get help? Your first port of call should be the Answers Community. If you’ve got a technical question, a Flow firing error messages, a formula that just won’t work…the Answers Community is the place for you.
While you’re on the Trailblazer community check out Trailblazer groups! Got an interest in Territory Management? There’s a group for that. Studying for the Advanced Admin exam? There’s a group for that.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions at community events, local meetups and Salesforce Saturdays. Find your nearest group here.
Finally, get on Twitter. It’s the place to be if you want to stay connected to the community. Why not check out our Salesforce Ohana Twitter Starter Pack: What and Who to Follow?
Team Admin Tips
Working as part of a team can have amazing benefits as long as the team has a clear structure and works well together. Build a diverse team and take every opportunity to learn from each other.
Grow with your Team
Collaboration and camaraderie are two key pillars of a successful team. Teams have the benefit of a wealth of experience and perspectives to draw on. Encourage open conversations and debate, allowing all team members to voice their opinion and make suggestions. You might think you have the best solution, but someone else might have done this before and be able to help you dodge known issues, saving you time and stress. A team should have complementary skills that make you better together.
Diverse teams make better decisions
Don’t work with, or employ, a team that’s just like you. A diverse team has been proven to make better decisions. You’ll benefit from different experiences, perspectives, and skills. Diverse teams are more innovative and often more open in their communication leading to better, well designed solutions.
Work to your strengths and develop your weaknesses
You can be a huge asset to your team, bringing your strengths, whilst using the opportunity of working in a team to train and mentor other employees. Avoid boredom by staying involved in all aspects of development and avoid getting pigeon-holed doing the same tasks over and over. Working in a team gives you access to other talented individuals; use their skills and experience to develop your own weaknesses. Even better, sharing your skills and experience is the surest way of developing and consolidating your own abilities. And remember, it’s not all about the technical. Those soft skills are just as important!
Don’t work in a silo
Seriously, don’t work in a silo. Teams that work in silos are unaware of the bigger picture, leading to unnecessary work, poor design, additional stress and low morale. Siloed teams miss out on all the benefits of working in a team, from collaboration to celebrating success together. Think about ways that you can come together as a group and help each other. Whether it’s talking about how you’re going to tackle an issue, reviewing each other’s work or just taking time to catch up informally. The power of a team is when individuals come together becoming stronger and smarter than they are on their own.
Solo vs Team: Which role would suit you best?
If you’re unsure whether you should be a solo admin or part of a team, make sure you check out “Superstar Solo Admin vs Awesome Admin Team: Which Is Right For You?” for a comprehensive and honest look at the pros and cons of each role. Either way, being a Salesforce Administrator in any guise is an amazing career!