How to Manage Projects and
Time More Effectively
MorningStar Music Publishers

THE CHALLENGE
Motivating employees to change old ways of managing paperwork, using their time more efficiently, and understanding how to manage projects were issues that MorningStar Music Publishers President, Mark Lawson, was very familiar with. MorningStar is a 20 year-old publishing company, specializing in religious and educational music. Mark contacted Sort It Out to assess some specific issues needing improvement, and then to lead a customized workshop for his employees, addressing areas of concern.

Specific areas of concern were project management inefficiencies, office layout shortcomings, and communication issues. MorningStar produces two publication lists a year.

THE SOLUTION
Mark goals were to engage his team in utilizing more efficient systems and tools that would move his business to the next level because of better productivity. Because of the length of time it takes for the publication process, project management is an ongoing struggle for MorningStar Music Publishers employees.

Following a two-hour assessment with MorningStar staff, Sort It Out developed an employee specific workshop to address systems and processes that needed some attention, focusing specifically on prioritizing techniques, project management pitfalls, and effective communication strategies.

THE RESULTS
One immediate result of the workshop was an improvement in the layout of the main office area. Due to an open floor plan, two desks were set up in the middle of the office and the employees sitting at those desks were constantly interrupted because of their location. MorningStar set up partitions for the employees so that they could have privacy and more time to focus on their duties. Open dialogue during the workshop brought this problem to the forefront. Another measurable result from the workshop was the occurrence of weekly meetings with the staff again. Mark had stopped the meetings due to frustrations over ineffective meetings. Now each gathering is well structured and time sensitive. Sidebar matters are discussed at a later time. Communication is managed better between staff members because of the opportunity to discuss items at the weekly meetings, thus fewer interruptions on a daily basis. Desktop action systems were addressed with a specific focus on time-sensitive action items. MorningStar employees now utilize their systems, understand the relevance of important vs. urgent and how to prioritize their time around a combination of urgent and important daily activities. Project management issues were addressed and Mark was researching project management software for his team to utilize instead of their current system.