The writer, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Business Publications Editors (ASBPE), contributes frequently to the ASBPE blog on techniques for improving editorial quality. This post is abridged with his permission.

Given the staff cutbacks that face almost every type of publications enterprise, it has become more important than ever for publications managers to assess their staffs’ productivity. Here is a basic approach to the task.

For a period of one or two months, each staff member should document how long he or she spends on each of six job categories:

1. Original writing
2. Editing the work of others
3. Travel
4. Production
5. Detail or administrative tasks like meetings, reading e-mail, general correspondence, training, interviewing job candidates, article recruitment, filing, etc.
6. Supervision of other staff members or freelancers

Keep separate tabulations for time spent on print content and on the Web. Also ask staff to keep a telephone log showing time spent on incoming calls, and to categorize the nature of these calls. To facilitate analysis, give staff a form that breaks down the day into 15-minute periods.

The goal is to estimate the number of days each staff member spends on each task category, with the assumption that total working time available in a month is equivalent to 20-22 days. If the total looks out of balance for any given task category, look for possible shortcuts.

For example, in one recent analysis a senior editor was found to be spending an unreasonable amount of time editing single manuscripts. Meanwhile an associate editor was spending a frightening number of hours per week surfing the web for story material. The production process often is an area where work duplication abounds. And limited staffs are often given overly-ambitious goals for Web content.

Once an editorial staff has a realistic handle on quantitative achievement, you have a more useful way to update top management on the exceptional value you deliver every day.

Howard Rauch is president of Editorial Solutions Inc., a consultancy focusing on B2B magazines. Contact him at howard@editsol.com.

Posted in Management of a publications enterprise, Writing and Editing