Time Management Part 2

Part 2 of time management in the studio.

4) How to use "No" effectively. 
Sometimes, we just don't have enough time to do what is asked of us. It is up to us to know our boundaries and limits. Saying "No" can be a tough thing because we are so conditioned not to turn down work. However running in a negative sleep balance can not only reduce our productivity, but reduce our work quality, which is going to negate any positive work acquisition gains.

1. Listen effectively
2. Say no honestly,
3. In some cases, explain why (Give only 1 valid reason)
4. Offer an alternative

5) Meetings: Have an agenda,
Don't go over the formatted time. People hate this. They also hate showing up to meetings, so don't be afraid to start the meeting without anybody in the room. Yes... I said talk to yourself. Why? Because when people do enter the room and the meeting has started;
     A) They might think you are crazy,
     B) they will respect you for respecting their time and not building in 5 minutes of prep time when               you should be meeting.

6) Manage interruptions
The average interruption is 10 minutes. So,use that door to manage interruptions. Schedule interrupter time if needed. This way you won't be unavailable all day.
If you have an open door policy at your place of employment, use a simple arrow cut out of paper. When the arrow is "up", you are available. When the arrow is "down" then you are unavailable.

7) Manage expectations
Let people know realistic deadlines for your work. If you don't give them a deadline, they will automatically assume their project is an ASAP for you. If you give them a due date realistic to your workload, then you will be managing their expectations for workload and project completion.


These are just some simple steps that we can take to make our time in the studio more efficient. The less time we waste with mundane tasks or issues in communication, the more time we can spend mixing and making music beautiful.