In my professional PR career, I answered to several extremely intelligent, powerful women. Each of them had a different manner with clients and taught me different things as an employee, but in every engagement “Don't waste my time!” was implied at the outset.
(And sometimes articulated directly to my face.)
I tried carrying that motto over to my own client interactions, too. But what I learned quickly was that wasted time - like so many things - is subjective.
The media report a local Board of Directors demanded weekly was ignored by the Broadway producing team who wanted just a lump-sum report at the end of the tour.
One boss wanted to know about every single nibblet of interest while another only wanted the facts re: time and date of the scheduled interview when it was done.
Twentyish years later, with my own cache of professional experience to draw from, I’ve distilled my definition of wasting time to simply this: unnecessary movement.
Moving the play button on a podcast page, moving email platforms so I have to re-confirm my interest, and taking action without proper planning is a waste of time!
When I work with my own clients, keeping focused on the end goal with regular reassessment of why we’re doing what we’re doing is paramount.
I won’t waste time making content planners for someone who isn’t gung-ho about using social media. I won’t write a script for someone who is camera shy. (If they are on the fence, I’ll encourage and coach them…but if they say “no” then I let it go!)
Going through the exercise of script writing, rehearsal, recording, and editing is unnecessary movement with no end goal if they clearly hate it.
My goal as a producer is not to overwhelm you with every possible option of things you could do to update or build your website, my goal is to strategically tailor our efforts to meet your goals.
If you are interested in taking a leap forward, let’s talk about it.
I promise not to waste your time.
