Working as a Supervising Director for the last four years has been the most fulfilling job of my 16-year career. You might be thinking, “Well, of course! Top of the heap, bigger pay, ultimate power!” Sure, those factors have their appeal. But can I tell you the REAL reason this is my favorite job? Being a Supervising Director has shown me that I am—*gasp!*—a people person.
I consider myself fortunate to have worked with the same core group these four years. The reason I have returning staff season after season isn’t because our schedule is great, or because the pay is high (LOL)—it’s because people want to work somewhere they feel genuinely cared about. That is an element I personally feel is essential to great team management. So what does caring for your crew look like?
Hire a Compatible Mix
Your work environment is a living entity that you need to keep healthy, and I’ve found one key is to interview candidates in addition to reviewing their work. Gain an understanding of where they’re coming from and their communication style. Imagine candidates interacting with your existing staff and evaluate their fit within your larger crew dynamic on a person-to-person (and not just skill) level. Seek to cross-pollinate veterans, greenies, old pals, and fresh faces who all share a common work ethic and attitude toward the project.
Be Aware of Your Crew’s Workload
Don’t use being high on the ladder as an excuse to be oblivious to knowing if a reasonable amount of time has been allotted for a job or where your pipeline bottlenecks are. The studio’s answer to problems is often simply “make staff work faster.” This is your cue to say “no.” Checking assets off a list is good, but having a crew that wants to work for you again is better. Find solutions that balance the production’s goals with keeping your team’s sanity.
Trust Your Leads
Collaborate with your directors and department heads to address problems–you hired them for their experience, so respect them by involving them in decision-making where it applies. It is vital to recognize that empowering those under you does not dis-empower you. Perhaps you’ll need to make the final call, but employees who get the chance to be heard and feel agency to contribute are far happier than those just being moved around like game board pieces.
Stay in Touch with Your Crew’s Morale
Supervisors are busy, but make a point to engage in crew group chat and show up at crew-driven (not only studio-driven) fun events when you can. It’s also important to know where your crew members are emotionally. If an artist is going through a bad breakup, it may explain a dip in their work output. Without this context, you might instead find yourself frustrated with this person and assume they’re slacking off, which can send you on a tear of other wrongful assumptions that only hurt the process and give you an unnecessary headache. If crew members trust you enough to talk to you about what’s really going on with them, you can strategize around unforeseen issues and avoid both burnout and missed deadlines. Crew trust takes time to build and requires consistent, active participation from you, but it pays off in dividends. Foster that trust, and never abuse it.
Never Forget What It Was Like in the Trenches
When I became a Supervising Director, I inherited a pipeline based on a previous show by the same show runners. The first thing I did was inventory the things that made me miserable on that show and present effective alternatives. I didn’t want to be up until 3 a.m. fixing boards like my Supervising Director, nor did I want my episodic directors and board artists working every weekend the way I had. I can only roll my eyes at people who get promoted into power and feel that those under them should have to suffer as they did. What kind of insecure garbage is that? Protect your crew from the pressure of unpaid overtime. Educate them on their contract and empower them to enforce it. Stand up for what’s right and fair, even when it means uncomfortable conversations with your producer, showrunners, or studio. Take care of your people, and they will feel motivated to deliver for you.
Ask What You Can Do to Help
If a crew member is overwhelmed, ask what would help their situation. You may not be able to make their deadline go away or do their work for them, but identifying a small attainable way to release pressure can make a difference. Some people just need to feel heard—make time to listen. Or if someone has physical work piling up, I might offer to thumbnail one board sequence or to start creating models for their SB Pro library to give them a boost until they can take it over. Without overextending myself, doing these things can make a HUGE difference to the person feeling swamped. In exchange for an hour of my time, I’ve kept the pipeline moving and built loyalty with the person who was struggling. Crews want to work for the captain who is willing to help row the boat.
Am I asking a lot on top of the standard job description functions you already perform? Yes, I am. Caring about people is a ton of work—it’s also my favorite part of this job. I’ve never had a greater sense of kinship with people than I do right now, with my ride-or-die crew built on mutual respect. It’s up to those of us in leadership to set the tone on our crews and be instigators for positive change for Guild members. This is how we get better working conditions; this is how we build community with our peers. Being effective in a leadership position is an ongoing conversation between you and your crew that requires active maintenance and earned renewals of trust. It’s never too late to start that conversation.
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