Freedom Through Rituals
If you are your own boss, do you need to do an employee check in with yourself? YES!
Lots of people start their own business because they want to be their own boss. What is often forgotten in that statement is that they are still an employee, they just happen to have a very strong connection (hopefully a loving one) to their boss.
Knowing where you are is power.
“Where are you?” Is probably the most caring question anyone can ask another human being. It is also what a boss wants to know about their employee. Knowing the context of someone else allows us to support them in the best way possible.
“You are shoveling the driveway. I will have some tea hot for you (and if you’re old like me, with a few Advil on the side).”
“You are installing your show. Do you need help picking up the materials for the opening?”
In business knowing your metrics is how you know where you are at. The metrics can tell us a lot about what is or is not happening in the studio. They can guide us to do more of what is effective, to adjust what is not working, or to abandon what might be a waste of resources. Knowing where you are at in business allows for effective management. You will know where to put your time, your energy and your money.
Relationships first, then revenue.
The known and easy metrics in business are financial. How much revenue/income did you make? What is the value of outstanding invoices due to the studio? These are great metrics to know but they are LAGGING. Getting paid is often the last step in business. If something is wrong with the money numbers it usually means there is an issue happening prior to a client sending dollars to your bank account.
Before money is handed from one person to another, a relationship must exist. Similarly if collaborations and opportunities are part of your plan, they likely involve other people. Building relationships can be tracked. Have you connected with patrons this week? Did you complete a grant application? How many events were you at this week to meet fabricators? Your connections and the work you are doing to make those connections are a significant indicator of the wealth that will come your way in the future.
Time is a measure of progress.
Business takes time. Meetings occupy hours and flow in the studio is the intimate presence of time or not. Knowing where your time is going will give you a strong indication of progress toward a desired outcome. Are you doing work that can be billed to a client? Did you spend time in the studio, the reason you are in your business? Seeing where your time is going will indicate where you are going!
Good managers want to know where money, energy and time are being utilized. They help understand how the studio is functioning and where the studio will go in the future.
As a bonus, being your own boss also allows you to check in personally on the employee. If someone is having circumstances that occupy time, energy and even money, there is a good chance it has an impact on the work. A good boss is aware of where an employee is at in life.. They can offer grace or they can encourage to pursue work to the fullest potential.
Good management is knowing where you are at! Do you know where you are at?
If you need support figuring out where you business is at, we offer resources to help you do that. We have free virtual professional development sessions to work on your business and offer free tools to help manage the studio. And of course our calendar is open for a coffee to talk through the joy and tribulation of being your own boss.
Banner Art Credits: German Joust of Peace (c. 1512–1515), German 16th Century, stages a ceremonial clash where pageantry and restraint share the same saddle. The scene feels both playful and disciplined. The tournament reads less like spectacle and more like a reminder: some tensions are rehearsed on purpose, allowing the real work to stay focused. (Rosenwald Collection; National Gallery of Art Open Access/public domain.)