A Course in Production Lesson Eight: Working With Superiors
We've talked about working with your own direct reports, as well as other Production teams. Today, we're going to talk about how to work with your boss and superiors.
Production, like any other department in animation, has its own hierarchy. Working with your superiors in Production (i.e. your bosses) will differ depending again on your studios’ structure. Here are a few key items when working with your superiors in Production.
Relay information clearly and succinctly
When reporting your boss, make sure the information you are presenting (whether verbally or in an email/written report) is succinct and clear. Absolutely use numbers and stats where you can to support the information you are presenting. Our superiors are generally very busy, you need to be clear and to the point. They need to know what the problem is, what’s at stake, and what you suggest.
Speaking of which: don’t just bring your boss a problem for them to clean up, that is your job. You should be prepared to discuss the issue, and you should also be ready with at least three different ways to solve this problem. Your boss can then weigh in and affirm which solve to go with, or they may offer their own.
When it comes to emails or reports, do not write them a novel without warning them first. Hit all key points, so if they just glance at your email or message, they know the cliffnotes. They will bring you in or talk to you in person when/if they need to know more.
While you may feel very strongly about an issue, don’t ramble. Rambling looks unprofessional and incompetent no matter how passionately you may feel about the issue (i.e., it looks like you are having a breakdown or a tantrum). If your boss is just as concerned, you will know very soon and can adjust your response accordingly.
Ask for help when you need it!
I’m suggesting to relay information clearly and succinctly for efficiency’s sake. Our goal here is that your boss can pick out quickly and easily what is happening. We do not want them to wade through a whole tirade to get to the heart of an issue.
This is not to say you should not ask for help, you absolutely should when you need it. It doesn’t have to be a whole thing, nor does it show incompetence to ask for help. Your boss can’t help you if they don’t know what is going on, they are not mindreaders. In nearly all of my previous roles, I would check in with my superiors multiple times a day with questions, ideas, concerns, etc, and we would blow through them quickly and efficiently together as a team.
With tight deadlines, no one needs a hero in production. If you need help completing your work in time for the delivery, ask your boss—it never hurts to ask, and if its the difference in being a day early or a day late, your boss will want to know.
If you are working on a Production team that is very structured and hierarchical, you can literally look to your Senior Coordinator, PM, Associate Producer and know they have gone through what you are going through and will therefore be happy to help.
Understand ‘Nice-to-have’ vs. ‘Must-have’
A critical thing in Production is knowing what is nice-to-have vs. what is a must-have. For example, would it be nice to offer your team optional OT so they can get ahead on this episode, or is it mandatory in order to hit the deadline? Would it be nice to host a lunch-and-learn for your modelling team so they can finesse their skills? Or is it a must-have because the whole team is struggling with a particular aspect of their work?
This question of nice to have vs. must have comes back to one of the biggest things in Production: prioritizing. We are constantly shuffling priorities in order to keep our shows moving. A good way to sort through your to do list and pressing issues is to go through them and ask yourself: what would be nice to have in getting the show done AND what is absolutely necessary in getting the show done?
Distinguishing between these two things is something our Supervisors and teams often struggle with. They can be confused about differing information they might be hearing, they are juggling different tasks, they might be straight-up distracted by something that is not actually that critical. Production can help set the record straight and ensure our teams are pursuing what is necessary above what would be nice, if that is what the schedule demands at the time.
Raise your concerns before they happen
I said previously that Production is not expected to be mind-readers. We are, however, expected to be able to see into the future a bit. No, no magic or psychic powers required. Using common sense and basic math, we should be able to predict a likely outcome using factors at hand. For example, based on the fact that half the team out sick, and we are only getting three shots through in dailies per day, are we likely to hit our delivery in two weeks? Unlikely. Even if it seems obvious, cover your butt and report this information. Have a plan on how you might fix it, but your boss needs to know if something is happening.
We want to be aware of likely eventualities so that we can adjust and plan accordingly. For example, say one of your supervisors has a parent in Europe who is quite ill. It is possible they might need to leave suddenly and for a considerable length of time. Start thinking about what you might do if they have to leave abruptly for an indefinite amount of time. Or, if you have a tricky episode coming up, make sure you state that this has triple the amount of crowd shots in a normal episode. Are you expecting a client visit but you know your studio is renovating two of your major meeting rooms? It’s all about planning and thinking ahead.
Boundaries
With your superiors, you are likely privy to a lot of private information about your crew and solving one problem after another—it can make for quick team building. While there is usually a space to vent and commiserate with your Production team, remember, they are not your family and they are not your parents. It is nice to have a close knit team, and the reason you are all together in the first place is for work. You are at a place of work, your conduct should mirror that. If you have a production team meeting, don’t spend twenty minutes ranting about your problems with your landlord or in-laws. There is a level of support you can expect within your Production team, but they are not meant to be your exclusive support group.
Many of my close friends I have met through work in Animation, and I have no regrets on that front. That being said, all of them are my peers or nearly my peers, I’m not sending any of my former Producers casual messages on Facebook or following them on Instagram.
Focus on a solid work relationship first, and if friendship is meant to be, it will happen.
Finding a Mentor
Finding a career mentor is one of those things that has become really buzzy in the last few years. Tiffany Dufu, author of Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less actually distinguishes five separate groups of folks who might provide guidance and support for your careers including sponsors, sage mentors, peer mentors, promoters, and mentees. I would highly recommend reading her book so that you can find out more about what role you might hold given your current experiences.
Finding a career mentor can be as formal as expressly asking someone to be a mentor that you check in with regularly. In my own experience, I have reached out to folks digitally (especially lately) or met with them for coffee/drinks (which you, the person asking for help, should pay for btw) for brief updates or where I pick their brain with questions i have prepared for the given amount of time.
I think it is important to remember that when it comes to mentoring, you can also just observe how people conduct themselves at work. Start with someone you admire at your studio. This person does not have to be in Production, they could be a supervisor of yours who is just a really good leader. Without even formally alerting them that you would like them to be your mentor, you can just simply observe: how are they running meetings? How are they delivering bad news? What process do they seem to be taking in how they make decisions?
Another way is to look for skill sets - say you want to become more organized. Now think about who you know who is very organized, observe what they do, and/or ask them if you might ask them a few questions about what they recommend to become more organized.
Lastly, if you have asked someone specifically to be your mentor or for their time, make sure you say THANK YOU. You can treat them to a drink or coffee, send them a thank you card, or write them a message to express your appreciation for the time they took to help you out.
Related lessons
Lesson Three: Working with your Direct Reports
Lesson Five: Working with Other Production Teams
Lesson Eight Resources
- Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less by Tiffany Dufu
- Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time by Susan Scott
- The Best Way to Rebound When You Blow It With Your Boss on Career Contessa
- 4 Boundaries You Should Never Cross with Your Boss on Career Contessa
- "I Hate My Boss"—The 7 Worst Bosses (+ How to Approach Them) on Career Contessa
- Elaine Welteroth On Finding Her Own Alternative To Men’s Golf Course Meetings on Girlboss
- 5 TED Talks To Watch When You Need Motivation, Like Now on Girlboss
- Here’s How to Convince Your Boss To Pay For That Awesome Conference on Girlboss
- Can We Still Be Good Enough If We Don’t Overcompensate? on Wit & Delight
- We Asked 4 Lady Bosses: What Does Your Workspace Say About You? on Wit & Delight
