Untangle The Mess In Your Team’s Process with Daniel Schutzsmith Presented at FITC Toronto 2015 More info at www.fitc.ca OVERVIEW Project management in a studio or agency seems to be a black art. Some do it well, others struggle. There are numerous methodologies and frameworks out there to manage your projects well, but what about just managing the entire process, from conception to execution? The truth is, we can learn a lot about managing our projects better by looking at how the programming world is evolving. We’ll learn to stay DRY, not become WET and define how each of us can individually lead our teams to better communication and morale. We’ll take a look at some of the main ingredients behind a good creative and programming process, how to interact with clients and the team, look at some tools that will help (but not overwhelm us), and establish some really easy techniques that will make the whole thing run much smoother. OBJECTIVE Open the audiences eyes to following their own process that works best for their team. TARGET AUDIENCE Ideally a great session for freelancers, smallish studios, or teams at an agency. Designers, programmers, project managers, producers, etc… ASSUMED AUDIENCE KNOWLEDGE Have worked in a client – vendor relationship before. Familiar with the general creative process. FIVE THINGS AUDIENCE MEMBERS WILL LEARN Some of the main ingredients behind a good creative and programming process. How to interact with clients and the team. Look at some tools that will help (but not overwhelm us) Establish some really easy techniques that will make the whole thing run much smoother. Give the audience member a good direction to go in to simplify their own process.

1. Untangle The
Mess In Your
Team’s Process
prepared for
FITC Toronto 2015

2. Hello.

3. Who Am I?

6. I worked at a
total of
17 studios

8. What’s The
Problem?

11. When you're small,
a process can live
in your head.
(But how does that translate to
10, 20, 50, even 100 people?)

12. If you're running the
business/team, you
CANNOT keep the
process in your head.
(You won’t get anything done to
focus on growing your business/team!)

13. Why Follow
A Process?

14. Defines the roles
of your team

15. Defines what is
to be expected
of each role

16. Defines how
work gets done

17. Develops a
work ethic

18. Increases
morale

19. Helps establish
a culture

20. Keeps You
DRY!!!!!

21. Don’t
Repeat
Yourself

22. We Can Learn
From Other
Industries

25. Where Do
We Start?

26. Do a few
bitch sessions.
(Get some 6packs, gather
the team or segments
of the team, and talk)

27. Don’t Do It
All In The Same
Day Or Week.

28. Session #1: Write
down everything
going wrong.
(Rip that fucking bandaid off!!!)

29. Session #2: Write
down everything
that is going right.
(NOT what is going wrong)

30. Session #3: Write
down everything
you'd like to see
working better.
(In a perfect world we should…)

31. Plan The
Process!

32. Document
EVERYTHING
you can.
(Edit Shit Later)

33. Include the
input of the
whole team

34. Define some
tools but give
some freedom.

36. Designate a
process leader
(steward of the process)

38. Write It All In a
Wiki or Docs

41. Define Checklists
(When Appropriate)

43. Use Video!

44. So What
Processes Should
You Define?

45. Production
Process

46. Creative
Process

47. Technology
Process

48. Client Services
Process

49. Leadership &
Management
Process

50. Human
Resources

51. Marketing
Process

52. New Business &
Sales Process

53. Finance
Process

54. Share The
Process!

55. Internally, build
an Intranet.

58. Externally, build
a Client Portal.

61. Have a new
employee
orientation
process!

64. Evolve The
Process!

65. Edit, Edit, Edit

66. Don’t worry about
naysayers, but
listen to the
moans and groans.

67. REVIEW
EVERY 6
MONTHS

68. Every 5 years,
trash it and
start over
(The words of Rick Webb)

69. NOW GO
DO IT!

72. Bye. Bye.
daniel@markandphil.com
@schutzsmith