Podcasting gets busy! With managing scripts, interviews, show notes and even just a regular production schedule, things can get a bit out of hand, even when trying to keep organized, let alone trying to tackle anything from memory alone.

Now, we at Pod Parrot have talked before on a few super effective tools for systemizing your workflow and keeping everything in top shape, but today we focus on two different products specifically designed for helping you to easily and effectively get that schedule organized and creating a virtual space for you and your teammates to keep things in check.

Step 1: Get To Know Trello and Google Calendar

Both Trello and Google Calendar are excellent online resources for creating and sharing scheduled events, such as interview times or editing deadlines. Both have their own unique features that allow them to streamline your workflow. Google Calendar’s easy share function and Trello’s ability to act as a sort of virtual office, lets you work with teammates and compartmentalized your tasks.

All Trello requires is that you sign up on their website to get started. Once signed up, you’ll get a nifty user interface that allows you to create “boards” to segment certain projects and share with your co-workers. Then, put any “card” with any assignment or to-do item at various phases of completion in customized lists.

If you’re already using Gmail or Google Docs, you should already be familiar with how Google Calendar works. It’s pretty easy to get setup if your not. Our friends over at HubSpot put together a great article on creating an editorial calendar that should help you get squared away!

Step 2: Work Out Your Schedule

One important part of the whole scheduling process is taking the time to understand what needs to be done for your project and setting an allotted time for you to get that done. I know it could seem a bit tedious, but it really is important, on a foundational level, to think ahead and get organized.

If you want to think about it another way, it’s kind of like organizing your dried laundry by shirts, pants, and whatever before hanging it up. Yeah, you can deal with it as it comes, but you get things done so much more efficiently once you already know how to tackle something.

Step 3: Compartmentalized What You Need To Get Done

With Trello:

Trello is awesome in how it allows you to assign specific events to specific cards where you can both assign a due date and break down specific things that need to be done for that project, for instance, making a check list for what needs to get done, like “make title” or “rough draft completed”. From there, you can place that card in certain categories (lists),  like the one you can see in that visual above.

With Google Calendar:

Google Calendar is more like a scheduler where you organize things that are due throughout the month. This is awesome for setting up repeating events, such as specific publishing days, and easily distinguishing things like description and title. You also have the handy option of creating multiple calendars.

Step 4: Share With The Team

Now that you have everything squared away, share it your teammates so that they know what needs to get done!

With Trello:

You have a couple of options here. Either invite them using the “share and more” link found in each card just under the “archive” button or send an automatic invitation by adding them as a member to board under the main menu.

With Google Calendar:

After you’ve created your calendar, click the drop down arrow to the right.  Next, click the “Share this Calendar” option and you’ll be asked to put in your co-worker or team members email. Simply share your calendar (like any google doc) and your set!

There you have it! With these simple steps, you’ll be rolling out calendars and checking off list like a madman in no time!!

Have any other suggestions for ways to organize your production schedule and team? Put it in the comments!

We’ve create a special Trello board for our readers! No strings attached. Go here to get access. Look for the “start here” section and copy the board to your account.