58
FREELANCERS Managing Without Losing Your melissa eggleston

Managing Freelancers Without Losing Your Mind

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

FREELANCERS Managing

Without Losing Your

melissa eggleston

Quiz: Which freelancer said it?

•  photographer •  videographer •  graphic designer •  writer

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

“Ooohh, I really hope they like it."

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

“The client is trying to make their story suck.”

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

“I hope she likes them — because they’re great.”

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

“They hire me but then don’t respect my profession opinion.”

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Confidence Continuum

Writers Videographers Photographers Graphic Designers

High

Low

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Who am I?

•  UX Specialist, Content Strategist, Author

•  I’ve been paid to be all of these freelancers at one time or another in my life.

•  I now often manage these types of freelancers.

Photo courtesy of Advanced Aerial Photography because I would never get in a helicopter, ever.

Where did I get my information?

Interviews (10) 1.

2. Surveys with open-ended questions (54)

3. Secondary research (online, print publications)

4. Personal experience (I’ve worn lots of hats.)

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Who have these freelancers worked for?

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Freelancer Experience (FX)

What is freelancer experience (FX)?

All interactions a freelancer* has with you and your organization while working on a project.

Technology People

*writer, photographer, videographer, designer, etc.

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

The Problem with Poor FX

The Problem

Picture 1!

Photo courtesy of Geoff Stearns

Photo courtesy of Tracy O

The Problem

Picture 2!

Companies that have caught n

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Our Goal

Everybody can keep their minds—and have more fun!

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Self-Empathy Required

Resistance?

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Resistance?

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Did not lern it on the soccer field

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Exercise

Write down in one sentence a situation you have at work involving another person that really bugs you.

If your work life is super smooth right now, congratulations! Think about a situation with your spouse, other family member or friend.

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Exercise

•  What am I thinking? (hand on head)

(examples: “This person is a jerk! This sucks. How am I going to meet my deadline now? Lame, lame, lame, lame, lame. I’m going to give him a piece of my mind, etc.”)

•  What am I feeling? (hand on heart) (examples: anxious, frustrated, upset, worried, irritated, enraged, alone, tense, discouraged, dominated, lost, uneasy, etc.)

•  What am I needing? (hand on belly) (examples: consideration, communication, awareness, participation, cooperation, inclusion, independence, space, clarity, understanding)

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Freelancer Empathy Needed

After we have self-empathy, we can move to...

•  What are you, freelancer, feeling?

•  What are you, freelancer, needing?

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Who said this?

“Empathy grows as we learn.” –  Alice Miller, psychologist

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

•  Picture of a graphic designer!

1. Ensure you are speaking the same language by giving examples, (“elegant” varies).

Graphic Designer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Give them the final text because small changes affect the design.

1.

2.

Ensure you are speaking the same language by giving examples, (“elegant” varies).

Graphic Designer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Give them the final text because small changes affect the design.

1.

2.

3.

Ensure you are speaking the same language by giving examples (“elegant” varies).

Graphic Designer Do’s

Provide descriptive feedback with the WHY if you don’t like something so they can solve it.

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Give them the final text because small changes affect the design.

1.

2.

3.

Ensure you are speaking the same language by giving examples, (“elegant” varies).

4. Great design isn’t quick, e.g. logos cannot be made in 2 hours.

Graphic Designer Do’s

Provide descriptive feedback with the WHY if you don’t like something so they can solve it.

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Give them the final text because small changes affect the design.

1.

2.

3.

Ensure you are speaking the same language by giving examples, (“elegant” varies).

4. Great design isn’t quick, e.g. logos cannot be made in 2 hours.

Graphic Designer Do’s

Provide descriptive feedback with the WHY if you don’t like something so they can solve it.

5. Organize feedback (14 emails in 1 day = not OK)

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Give clear instructions and expectations. 1.

Writer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Give clear instructions and expectations. 1.

2. Talk to them in person or on the phone.

Writer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Give clear instructions and expectations. 1.

2. Talk to them in person or on the phone.

3. Compensate them well or at least fairly for their time.

Writer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Give clear instructions and expectations. 1.

2. Talk to them in person or on the phone.

3. Compensate them well or at least fairly for their time.

4. Realize that sitting on a project will delay it.

Writer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Videographer Do’s

@melissa_egg #LavaCon Photo courtesy of John Benson

Discuss (and have) a goal for the video. 1.

Videographer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Discuss (and have) a goal for the video. 1.

2. Know that tiny video changes take time due to exporting, compressing, and uploading video.

Videographer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Discuss (and have) a goal for the video. 1.

2. Know that tiny video changes take time due to exporting, compressing, and uploading video.

3. Give videographers a clear deadline.

Videographer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Discuss (and have) a goal for the video. 1.

2. Know that tiny video changes take time due to exporting, compressing, and uploading video.

3. Give videographers a clear deadline.

4. Be organized, great videos are the result of careful planning not shooting on the fly.

Videographer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Writer Do’s &Dont’s

Photo courtesy of Lynn Friedman

Understand the image and look you want. 1.

Photographer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Understand the image and look you want. 1.

2. Be clear on how and where you are going to use the images taken.

Photographer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Understand the image and look you want. 1.

2. Be clear on how and where you are going to use the images taken.

3. Be specific about needs and ask questions.

Photographer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Understand the image and look you want. 1.

2. Be clear on how and where you are going to use the images taken.

3. Be specific about needs and ask questions.

4. Expect that editing photos will take time. No, you won’t get them tomorrow.

Photographer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Photographers & Videographers Need You to Know

Time of day affects the quality of the shoot. @melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Everybody

@melissa_egg #LavaCon

The They all talk about .

Photo courtesy of Tambako the Jaguar

Everybody

@melissa_egg #LavaCon

The They all talk about .

Photo courtesy of Tambako the Jaguar

Be collaborative to get a better final product. 1.

All Freelancer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Be collaborative to get a better final product. 1.

2. Look at past work to see if you and the freelancer are a good match.

All Freelancer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Be collaborative to get a better final product. 1.

2. Look at past work to see if you and the freelancer are a good match.

3. Do not add to their “To Do” list without expecting to pay more.

All Freelancer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Be collaborative to get a better final product. 1.

2. Look at past work to see if you and the freelancer are a good match.

3. Do not add to their “To Do” list without expecting to pay more.

4. Respond promptly with feedback to stick to the agreed upon schedule.

All Freelancer Do’s

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Be collaborative to get a better final product. 1.

2. Look at past work to see if you and the freelancer are a good match.

3. Do not add to their “To Do” list without expecting to pay more.

4. Respond promptly with feedback to stick to the agreed upon schedule.

All Freelancer Do’s

Ensure they don’t have to track down payments.

5.

@melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Be collaborative to get a better final product. 1.

2. Look at past work to see if you and the freelancer are a good match.

3. Do not add to their “To Do” list without expecting to pay more.

4. Respond promptly with feedback to stick to the agreed upon schedule.

All Freelancer Do’s

Ensure they don’t have to track down payments.

5.

Have one contact/point person for the project. 6. @melissa_egg #16NCT4G

Questions about keeping your mind?

[email protected]