5 Days? – We’ll Do It in 3. By @ohunterjenkins
By Owen Hunter Jenkins
5 Days? – We’ll Do It in 3.
Last week my team won the ‘design your studio’ brief – it was a bitter-sweet victory. On the outset, being able to design your own studio sounds amazing. But after the honyemoon designing period, we were left with the bitter reality of actually making it happen. This meant planning, costing, time allocating, meetings and all other manner of sexy stuff. Goodbye right brain, hello left. Goodbye poddington pea, encrusted in a seagull’s crown, hello spreadsheet.
Before we got going, we received some sage advice from our mentors. Things like:
- “You have to plan everything”
- “Use everyday effectively”
- “Most people will lose interest after day 1, so give everyone a job”
- “Buy beer”
- “Watch out for people who duck their responsibilities”
- “Play music”
- “Watch who comes in, and who stays at home”
- “It’s actually a great bonding exercise, a lot of people partner up during the studio build”
and so on.
Armed with this, we created a haphazard plan for the week. It read: if we work later, can we do it in four days?
Which led to: If we work harder, can we do it in three?
To cut a long scab short, we succeeded. On Wednesday evening at 7pm, we admired our completed studio whilst supping tinnies and huffing the last of the spray-paint fumed air. We learned first hand the importance of setting tangible goals. Every decision was made with our overall goal in mind – “Shall we give the bars a second coat of paint” led to “Will it dry it time?” and “Would it make much difference” to “No, let’s clean the sofas instead”. Having a short term goal gave clarity.
Also, I’ve found that if you have a goal then people can understand your decisions more, and excuse your bullshit. Because at times during the studio build I was a bell end – I stood on the stage and gave ‘day plans’, conducted votes and turned the music down constantly to make ‘announcements’. I would rather of allowed this, and played nice. But I don’t think we would of achieved our goal this way. All I hope is that people can excuse my behaviour in exchange for a four day weekend.
So here’s to goal setting.
