Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1434261
D E PA R T M E N T 41 KEYFRAME as robust as possible? What resources do you have? How can you deploy those resources to make things work effectively? In this way, "my work" becomes "our work" and the outcome is a natural result of the process. CHOOSE WISELY In a perfect world, you are given full control over each of the departments you oversee. You are also given ample time to hand-pick every team member, each of whom is someone you have worked with multiple times before. You know their style; they know yours; you speak an unspoken language, and the work distribution flows naturally. In the real world, the above-detailed scenario doesn't often happen. You prob- ably have some creative control over who is in your department, but you will inherit team members who have been selected by producers or other higher ups. In addition, crews shift from movie to movie, and series staff can change from season to season as members move on to other shows and new people need to be brought in. All of this is common. But when you're dealing with people whose work you don't know, there may be an adjustment period of figuring out who does what and to what extent. Davila looks for people with strong time-management skills who don't have problems hitting deadlines. She also looks for those who seem especially skilled at managing their own depart- ents ne eaple is atya oser, a storyboard director on one of Davila's current shows (not to mention TAG Shop Steward at Atomic Cartoons). "Katya had never directed before, but I had seen how well she listened and worked with artists on other shows," says Davila. "Her strong board skills definitely gave her an edge when we were looking at all our directing candidates, but it was her ability to lead, rather than microman- age or talk down to people, that really put her at the top of our list. It seemed like a little thing at the time to work well with others, but seeing how she's stepped up into leadership positions in the Union and how well she works with greener art- ists really sealed the deal. She's been an incredible asset to our show." The result: Davila doesn't get bogged down in just one department and has more time to work with all the depart- ments on her show. OFFER OPPORTUNITIES In a creative industry, it's not just about who is—on the surface—best able to do the work. You may have multiple people with varying skills and talents who could be plugged into different situations if the need arises. Delegating is about empow- ering your team as much as it is about getting the work done. When you give someone a chance to spread their wings, it can produce great results. Within his team, McKee seeks out people with diverse skills sets, both artistically and technically, and people who are fun and will be able to keep things light. He also looks for people whose work has shown promise, but who may not have received the recognition they deserved … until now. "I'm always looking to give people opportunities," he says. "It's incredibly important. In addition to having the senior WINTER 2021 41 TALK IT OUT The more people you supervise, the more different personalities and abilities you will be dealing with. To bring these ingredients together harmoniously, the experts emphasize the value of one-on-one conversations. • Ask the person what they look for in a manager. "What has made for a successful manager relationship in the past, and what conditions allow them to show their best selves at work, can set the groundwork for a strong relationship down the line," says Upton. • "Having transparent discussions about their likes and dislikes, and proidin a sae enironent or the to spea up is ey, says san "After gaining that understanding, the next step is to manage through empathy. In other words, to adapt your delegation style based on the preferences and motivation factors of your team members."