How to Manage Your Hectic Workload, Not Lose Your Mind and Still Get Home in Time for Dinner

As group production director for Condé Nast Publications, Robin Carter is primarily responsible for the manufacturing of the company’s three golf titles, Golf Digest, Golf World and Golf For Women. She also oversees the production services department at Condé Nast’s Third Avenue office in New York. Carter first joined Condé Nast six years ago, the last three of which have been spent in her current position. Her career in publishing began 24 years ago with a position in finance. “When I became a production finance manager, I knew I found my passion––manufacturing,” she says. What are some of the challenges that production professionals such as yourself are faced with today?Robin Carter: Expediency. The digital environment allows for later closes and faster turnaround. It is amazing to compare the time [of] conventional preparation to the electronic workflow of today. Electronic files can be updated and transmitted via FTP or portals in possibly minutes, whereas [the] conventional process took days. [It] required film to be pulled, shipped via courier and manually registered at the plant before plates could be shot. Keeping up with technology is a benefit. It is this technology that allows print publications to compete with TV and [the] Internet. We can now accept files, both ad and edit, up to press time. We can also personalize messaging to a subscriber while binding their issue. These are all benefits that help our industry meet competitive challenges.What are your primary duties and responsibilities in your current position?Carter: Managing the production department, which is responsible for all aspects of manufacturing: book layout with publishers and editors; processing and shipping digital files for press; issuing manufacturing instructions for press and bindery; coordination of special advertising sections and gimmicks; and managing several hundred demographic editions per issue. I also work directly with department heads on various projects to fully utilize the technology available. It is important for me to be attuned to what is next, both for our publications and the industry in general.If a fellow production professional asked you for your best job-related advice or tips, what would you tell them?Carter: Hire wisely. Management is only as strong as their staff. I believe intelligence, enthusiasm and work ethic are as important as experience. Manufacturing is a team effort, and the department must work as a team. I am very fortunate to have a strong team.Experienced staff are the foundation … while those new to the workforce bring a fresh prospective with questions and ideas. I always remember seasoned professionals who found the time to teach me through the years. I am honored to have the opportunity to share my knowledge with others now.What are some tricks you’ve picked up over the years to help juggle overlapping schedules?Carter: Golf Digest Publications [part of Condé Nast Publications] publishes Golf Digest (monthly), Golf For Women (bimonthly) and Golf World (weekly), as well as custom-publishing projects [such as an annual custom publication for the Masters’ Tournament]. There is a lead person for each title and standardized workflows. Even when manufacturing schedules overlap, I am able to confidently delegate tasks and projects with scheduled updates. Multitasking is an art form. Thanks to the [Palm] Treo, laptop, wireless Internet and flash drives, I remain in touch wherever I go. This is essential since I work from both our New York and Connecticut offices, as well as travel to the printing plants. I also live by to-do lists. Of course, the priority of the list can change several times a day, but it helps me to focus and follow up in a timely manner.Do the magazines frequently change their scheduled ad closings, and if so, what are your tips for managing these last-minute changes as well as staff workloads?Carter: Scheduled closings do not change; however, all print publications need to have the most updated content to maintain freshness on the newsstand. Managing late-closing editorial or even ad campaigns is part of the job. Production schedules will overlap when managing multiple titles. Having a strong department is the answer to making it all work!What’s your secret to maintaining a balance between your professional life and your personal life?Carter: My family would say that I am a workaholic, but the truth is, I love what I do. The fact that manufacturing schedules are 24–7 adds to the excitement. As I mentioned before, technology allows me to be where I need to be both personally and professionally. PE

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How to Manage Your Hectic Workload, Not Lose Your Mind and Still Get Home in Time for Dinner

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