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YOUR Studio Time

Personal time management is one of the most important keys to the successful operation of your business, regardless of what services it includes. You should be so good at managing your own time that you can train your employees by example how to better manage theirs. To me, it is like “finding your groove.” If you find it, you will have a comfortable way in which to get quality work done in less time. It is knowing when you have received the maximum benefit from whatever you are focused upon (such as a meeting or interview), and then concluding that effort in a courteous manner so you may focus on the next item on your priority list for the day. It is the classic measure of sophistication for your business. If the boss is organized, the staff had better be organized—or else!

Here are some of the major questions to ask yourself:

•  Do you organize your time or does it organize you?

•  Are you able to accomplish tasks in the agreed-upon time, return all your telephone messages, delegate authority to your subordinates, and then control the follow-up for committed completion dates?

•  Do you remember all the tasks you agreed to perform for your business associates (whether they be clients, peers, suppliers, or subordinates) and then do all of them on time?

If you answered “yes” to all of the above, you are probably not telling the truth.

To develop the best control of your studio time, take a look at how others successfully handle time more efficiently than you do. Through trial and error, I've developed my own scheme, and it works for me. Your way should work for you. Because we are all in the time sales business in one form or another, never forget that “time is money.”

The most important challenge of your business day is having the time available to advise, communicate with, and therefore, properly manage your key personnel. This means providing more information (but only when they ask) about a project you have already delegated to them. It may mean just being there for them if a serious situation arises. To keep operations running smoothly, you must always have the time to focus on their pressing needs of the day. What worked for me at Record Plant was to tell my managers the task to be done, the time limitations, and that I did not want to hear from them again until it was completed—unless they wanted to ask for my advice. The other side of that coin, however, was their understanding that I was available anytime if they didn't know quite what to do or didn't want to make a decision alone. If you don't know, ask. If you think there is a better way, ask. If you think you know the right way, just do it. You don't need to ask. I will support your decision, right or wrong. Just don't make the same mistake twice. It worked for me and made for a very successful studio team.

This philosophy determined my schedule of personal time management. I had to tackle my mandatory tasks before the studio sessions got into setup and could only go back to them when the sessions were operating smoothly. But I was available as a fireman for any problem that arose. The fact that our people knew I would be available for them, with no bad feelings, gave them the confidence to ask for a solution for something they weren't sure about, without ever feeling stupid for doing so. On the other hand, I promised them I would let them do it their way as long as they felt confident in doing so, and gave them all of the credit, publicly, for a job well done, on time and within budget.

With this philosophy in mind, how can you become more efficient within the finite number of minutes in a workday? I have a simple set of rules. Some of them might work for you.

1.  There are many calendar programs available to you, from the old-fashioned desk calendar or appointment book to sophisticated computer software complete with “post-its” and alarms. Use whatever works for you, but make it complete and totally up to date. By that I mean turn it into a diary of past activities, results, and expenses, so you may trace any prior action, such as when you last spoke to an important client. Also, it must be a very accurate projection of the future, not only for agendas you cannot afford to forget, but also as the most effective way to prioritize your time. This will enable you to change—up to the last moment—the business-oriented tasks you have set aside for a particular purpose or goal.

2.  First thing each business morning, create a “To Do” list. It establishes your priorities along with the information already included in your calendar program or book. It also gives you one last chance to reevaluate the importance of planned events and to review the continuing priority of tasks you were unable to complete from the previous day.

3.  How many meetings do you really need to have on any given day? How much time during those meetings do you spend pontificating instead of getting the job done? Oops!

4.  When is the right time of day to make your phone calls? Some early, some late, depending on the habits of the people you are trying to reach. It's all part of knowing your clients and associates. What time of day will find the person you are trying to reach in the most receptive frame of mind?

5.  I have found that e-mail is a very effective way to communicate in writing. Write what you want to say, and then let it sit for 10 minutes before you send it. More often than not, you will make a small change or two that will make it more effective to the reader.

6.  Two simple ways to gain time: Have someone screen your calls and make sure that he or she has an up-to-date priority list of people you will always speak with. Have someone open your mail and get rid of the junk. Result: at least an extra hour per day. Also remember that the use of voice mail can cost you bookings. Clients most often want to speak with a real person. Being able to speak directly with someone at your facility will establish for your clients the high priority you place on their business.

7.  Be sure to set aside a specific time of day to isolate yourself and recharge your batteries. If you don't “turn off” at least a couple of times a day (that's why the unions invented “breaks”) you could lose momentum. A quiet walk around the block could give you a whole new perspective. The “3:00 PM blues” are well known to most of us. If you can't take a nap (which is the best answer for me), then ingesting some caffeine or engaging in some vigorous exercise to get your blood moving can make for a much more productive end of the day.

To be most efficient at what you do, you also need to schedule quality time to be spent exclusively with your significant others. After all, why do we all work as hard as we do? Hopefully, we are trying to provide the best possible environment, in which good feelings may grow, for those people who are most important to our personal happiness. Your efficiency and your methods for having the time available to “have a life” will prove to you that you are managing your time in the most effective manner. If that is not the case, you should probably rethink how you manage your time. Maybe you can make it better!