The Manager as a Producer

Think like a producer. It's advice that Mike Kimmel gives to actors in his book 50 Secrets Nobody Tells You in Hollywood. It's good advice for managers as well.

Producers are professional problem solvers who the big picture and anticipate problems before they arise—problems that can cause a delay, increase costs, create legal issues. They spend most of their time putting out fires and getting all the moving working together as a cohesive whole. Their mantra: “Expect problems and eat them for breakfast.”

Whether you manage a function in the organization or a project, you can learn from Hollywood producers. Consider the tasks and activities involved with whatever you are leading:

Schedule. You must manage your time and the time of everyone involved within an allotted time frame. Pity the poor producer who has an A-list actor who consistently shows up late and delays the starts of shoots.

Resources. Budgets that must be adhered to. Outside vendors and suppliers who impact both time and money must be managed. Remember, producers and managers are accountable to investors.

Collaboration. Relationship building is an integral part of a producer’s or manager’s job. You and your team must collaborate with members of other departments. Don’t forget external relationships. If one supplier can’t meet your needs, is there another you can turn to quickly?

People. Staff has to be chosen or hired. For producers, the behind-the-scenes creatives are usually hired long before the actors. For a project manager, staffing may extend beyond choosing folks from their own teams.

Quality control. Managers and producers must monitor the quality of the project along the way and its outcomes at the end. If things don’t measure up, adjustments must be made.

Flexibility and resourcefullness are key, especially when challenged. For producers, if the weather doesn't cooperate when they're shooting outdoors, can they shoot another scene that day? Neither producers nor managers can waste time pointing fingers, making excuses or complaining. They must act.

Launch. If it's a project that you're leading, there will be a project launch—think Hollywood premier—which is a project itself requiring many of the same resources.

Special thanks to Mike Kimmel for sharing his secret, “Think Like a Producer.” Pick up a copy of 50 Secrets Nobody Tells You in Hollywood and leave a review on Amazon when you do.