Modern technology is truly a wondrous thing, isn’t it? Thanks to recent advances — such as studio management software — many studios are able to make the most of their limited resources, accomplishing levels of success far beyond what some professionals would expect. In fact, in some circles, it’s said that staff size is an irrelevant metric when determining the impact and significance of a given business. While that may or may not be the case, what does remain intrinsically tied to a studio’s success is how well that staff is managed.
Regardless of what your studio’s focus is or how many staff members you currently have on hand, you need to employ some key management tactics to maximize productivity and keep morale running high. After all, the happiness of your staff has a direct impact on the success of your studio. So let’s take a closer look at some key ways you can ensure that your staff and your studio at operating at peak performance levels.
Establish a Team Mentality
In order for your staff to function as a cohesive whole, you have to take purposeful steps to facilitate a team environment within your studio. One of the best ways to do that is by setting goals for each department and every individual who contributes to its daily operation. The exact nature of this may vary based on your management style, but it’s essential to inspire your employees as one whole unit to maintain a sense of camaraderie. With one purpose they’re all driving toward, your staff members will learn to rely on one another and cooperate on the task at hand.
In addition, you need to keep the lines of communication open. Implement an “open-door policy” so that employees feel comfortable discussing any grievances regarding the team. Office politics can arise in any working environment, and creating a place where your staff feels like they’re heard and acknowledged will go a long way toward setting a positive tone for your studio. After all, it is you who must lead by example.
Delegate to Motivate
Once you maintain open communication and instill a team mentality, you’ll be better equipped to understand each of your staff members’ strengths and weaknesses, making it easier to delegate tasks accordingly. This is one of the biggest benefits of a strong working relationship and is sure to have a lasting impact on your team’s performance since you’re essentially playing to each person’s skills and experience. As a result, your staff members will feel empowered and foster an even greater devotion to your studio and the role they play in its operation.
While it’s important to get to know each staff member well enough to effectively delegate work, be sure to always treat each individual the same. You certainly don’t want to give off an air of favoritism among the group, since it could very well undermine the team mentality you’ve worked so hard to foster. The idea here is to develop a strong connection with your team across the board, not to make some feel more disconnected than others.
Build Loyalty and Trust
Perhaps the most fundamental part of any winning team is an overwhelming loyalty and trust among the group. You accomplish this by first taking each of your employees’ attitudes toward work into account and then reassuring them — through your attentive action and supportive approach — that you value his or her unique contribution to the greater whole. Demonstrate compassion and empathy for each employee, and when an issue needs to be addressed, don’t shy away from providing constructive feedback to help your employee perform better.
Likewise, be sure to recognize your staff’s accomplishments, both collectively and individually. Whenever a goal is met, appreciate the hard work they’ve put in and dole out the deserved praise. You might even want to come up with some other means to incentivize your team. Even if it costs little to no money to do so, the effects on the connection you have with your workers and employee morale will be more than worth it in the end.
Staff It Up
If you’re just now opening your studio for the first time or have been running it for years, it’s never too late to re-evaluate your management style. What you do today will ultimately affect the future of your staff and, by extension, your studio. Hopefully, the above tips have provided you with some direction going forward and perhaps some insight into how you can adjust the way you engage with your staff.
Of course, the topics we’ve covered above barely scratch the surface. There are countless other management tips out there that you can easily apply to how you run your studio. In addition, some of what we’ve discussed may not really apply to you, or you might already be doing everything you can to ensure top-notch studio management. But the important thing is that you continue to remain aware of how well you fulfill your role as a manager, especially since you’re the one that sets the tone for your staff.
