had an opportunity to talk about his or her individual roles,
as well as the team’s strengths, weaknesses, and challenges.
The ultimate goal of the day was to create a document, a
guide, that all of the daily team members would use when
needed.
Included in the document was information about the
services the team would supply and which team member was
responsible for which task. Most importantly, the group
created together a list of service goals detailing what
excellent service looked like at each step of the client-studio
relationship. “This document is key,” states Armour. “In the
throes of a shoot we need to live our words. Taking time out
beforehand and consciously stating our service wishes helps
us, when we are in the midst of client activity, to live our
values.”
While Armour credits his team with helping him to service
clients, he knows that they are a representation of his commit-
ment to service.YOUR TEAM, YOUR MISSIONSo dear reader, you may be shaking your head and saying,
“My team is me. I don’t have the staff that Jake does. I can’t pos-
sibly consider a team approach to service.” Think again. You
and any supplier (assistant, stylist, bookkeeper) that you work
with are a team. When you are assigned work, you and your
client are a team. “Teaming,” as we learned via Jake Armour, is
an attitude, a state of being, not just a physical form.
One of the first steps toward determining how your
team will function is to create a mission statement. This state-
ment will deliver your company’s purpose and your commit-
ment to service. Contained within your mission statement
can be a list of service goals. These goals are the guide that
you live by and should be shared with all freelancers that
work with you.
In order to develop your list, block time off your schedule
for a working retreat. Rarely will time pop up, and it’s easy to
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