How to Manage Your YouTube Team Like a Systems Thinker
Dec 7, 2024

Goal: Protect your creative headspace at all costs.
Problem: Chaotic workflows derail creative flows with each step that requires attention.
Managing a YouTube team often feels like a battle between two opposing forces: keeping up with your content schedule and trying to build a workflow that actually makes things easier. You’re juggling ideas, edits, deadlines, and emails—all while trying to keep your creative energy alive. It’s exhausting.
Here’s the thing: building a workflow that works for your team isn’t easy. It takes effort upfront, and sometimes it feels like just one more thing on your already full plate. But when you get it right, it frees up your headspace so you can focus on what really matters—creating great content.
This guide isn’t about giving you fluffy advice. It’s about showing you the actionable steps to build a workflow that works for your team and gets you back to doing what you love.
Here’s exactly how to get started.
1. Write Out Your Workflow
This is the foundation. If you’re not clear on the steps it takes to get from idea to upload, your team won’t be either. Take 20 minutes and write it all out.
If you already have a workflow: Write down every step you currently take, even if it feels messy. This will give you a baseline to refine.
If you don’t have a workflow: Start by asking yourself:
Who are you creating content for?
What is the purpose of your content?
What steps need to happen to get from an idea to a published video?
If you’re unsure how to answer these questions, check out the Creator Playbook. It dives deeper into creating a purpose-driven workflow and clarifying your goals.
Once you’ve mapped out the steps, it should look something like this:
Brainstorm video topics
Create thumbnail & title ideas
Write scripts
Film video
Edit footage
Upload and schedule
This is just a starting point—you’ll refine and improve as you go.
2. Break Down What Needs to Be Batched
Batching is the fastest way to get more done with less effort. Instead of working on one video at a time, group similar tasks together.
Here’s how to figure out what needs to be batched:
Look at your workflow and group tasks that can happen together. Example:
Ideation: Brainstorm a bunch of topics that connect with your content strategy.
Content Planning: You have an upload schedule you want to stick to each month, so sit down and strategize your content all at once. What will you be posting next month? Where will you be posting? What is your goal with the content?
Thumbnail & Title Ideation: Based on your content ideas, create thumbnail & title combos for your upcoming upload schedule.
Scripting: Block out a day or days to focus on scripting your videos to match your thumbnail & titles.
Filming: Record multiple videos back-to-back.
Editing: If possible, try to get your editor to edit rough cuts for 2-3 videos in one sitting, rather than trying to make one video ‘perfect’ before moving onto the next. (tricky since they likely have other clients. Expect to pay more to get special treatment…)
Thumbnail Review: Approve thumbnails for several videos at once.
Decide how often you’ll batch each group of tasks based on your upload schedule. If you post once a week, you might batch every two weeks. If you post daily, batching will happen more frequently.
3. Create a Batch Schedule
Now that you’ve identified what needs to be batched, it’s time to build a schedule around it. This schedule is entirely based on your upload cadence.
Here’s a simple framework to follow:
Weekly Uploaders: Batch content planning once a month, film all videos for the month in one session, and schedule editing/approvals weekly.
Daily Uploaders: Break your schedule into smaller, frequent batches. For example, plan content weekly, film every 3 days, and edit in short cycles.
Your schedule doesn’t need to be perfect, but it does need to work for your team. Adjust as needed to keep things flowing.
4. Choose the Right Workflow Software
Once your workflow is mapped out and batched, you need software to keep it organized. You have two options:
Option 1: Notion (Best for DIY Creators)
Free and familiar to many creators.
Flexible for tracking tasks, brainstorming, and organizing content.
Downside: Takes time to set up, lacks key features like file sharing, payments, live chat, or automation for YouTube workflows.
Option 2: olooa (Built for YouTube Teams)
Plug-and-play system designed specifically for YouTube creators.
Includes file sharing, task management, payments, and even tools for tax write-offs (1099s).
Lets your team communicate and collaborate in real time, including timeline revision comments for videos.
Downside: Not free. Requires an investment to save time and headaches.
5. Set Up Your Workflow
Now it’s time to put in the work to get your system running. Block out a day (or two) to fully set up your workflow in the software you’ve chosen.
If you’re using Notion:
Build a dashboard for task tracking.
Create templates for repeatable tasks like editing, filming, and publishing.
Organize everything manually (this will take time).
If you’re using olooa:
Start by inviting your team, scheduling out your content, and then doing ideation for your videos.
Set up auto assignments for team members, upload files, and connect deadlines.
Explore advanced features like team payments and 1099s for tax write offs.
6. Commit to Ongoing Improvement
No workflow is perfect out of the gate. As you and your team start using it, you’ll notice what’s working and what’s not.
Here’s how to continuously improve:
Keep a “Fix-It” List: Create a pinned note in olooa or a page in Notion where you quickly jot down anything that’s annoying, unclear, or slowing your team down. Don’t fix these things immediately—keep your creative flow intact.
Monthly Review: On the first of every month, review your “Fix-It” list. Dedicate time to making adjustments and optimizing your workflow.
olooa Support: If you’re using olooa and subscribed to the Enterprise package, you can paste your “Fix-It” list into the team messenger, and our team will make the updates for you.
The goal is to keep refining your workflow so it works better over time without constantly disrupting your creative momentum.
Final Thoughts
You have two choices:
Invest your efforts into an effective workflow to improve as a creator
Stay at the level you currently are.
Taking the first step to build your workflow will feel like a lot of effort—but once it’s in place, everything becomes easier. Your team works smarter, your videos come together faster, and you get to focus on creating instead of managing chaos.
If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start building a system that works, try olooa. It’s the only tool built specifically for YouTube creators and their teams—so you can skip the setup headaches and get back to what matters most.