The 3 Minute Habit
Solve one of the biggest problems in your broadcasting career.
Back in 2012, I was in Costa Rica when I got a call from a friend who was producing a series of games in the Caribbean. He sounded stressed. They were in the middle of setting up the show, and nobody on site knew how to operate the Kayak switcher they had available.
He asked if I knew any director or vision mixer who could handle it. I told him, yes, we have someone excellent here. His name is Mauricio. My friend immediately said, “Can you send him? We will pay everything. We just need someone who knows this machine.”
Before agreeing, I asked why they could not just use the manuals. He said, “The manuals are here, but nobody learns operations from manuals. Programming maybe, but the real troubleshooting comes from people teaching each other.” He was right. Most of our industry still works that way.
We all know this feeling. Our work depends on tribal knowledge, quick chats, and hoping the right person is around when something goes wrong. It works until it doesn’t. Someone is on holiday, schedules shift, someone moves to another gig, and suddenly a familiar show feels brand new.
But we can change that. Not with binders no one reads or giant standard operating procedures (SOPs) manuals that feel like they belong in a museum.
Today I am sharing with our a simple, fast, field-ready system to capture the know how in your room with tools you already have. It respects the pace of a live day. And it produces documentation your teams will actually use.
The pain you’re feeling
You rely on memory instead of tools, which means every time you switch shows or take a few days off, you spend extra time trying to remember the steps.
You carry the pressure of being the person everyone goes to because the knowledge lives in your head, not in a place others can access.
Your workflow feels inconsistent because you are always adapting to the habits and shortcuts of whoever is next to you.
You waste energy hunting for old notes, messages, or screenshots because nothing is organized in a way that supports you personally during a live day.
If any of this feels painfully familiar, you are in the right edition.
The shift: from encyclopedias to 3 minute docs
Every control room has tried the long manual approach. It usually ends with someone asking, “Where is that giant binder?” followed by a shrug.
The simple fix is to move from encyclopedic documentation to what I call minimum viable documentation.
One page SOPs for things you do often.
Three minute videos that show the actual hands on the actual gear.
Checklists that live where the work happens.
QR codes and pinned links so anyone can find the doc in two taps.
Think pilot’s checklist. Not corporate handbook.
What “good” looks like
Findable: One single “Start Here” index with search. QR codes on hardware.
Consumable: 300 to 500 word pages and videos under three minutes.
Trustworthy: Clear owner and last updated date.
Actionable: Steps, gotchas, and one simple success check.
Iterative: Each show produces one tiny improvement.
When this works, you see something special. New hires stop asking the same five questions. Veterans get time back. And the room gets calmer.
Quick wins you can do this week
1) Film the hands, not the face
Flip your phone. Record over the shoulder while you load a rundown template, patch IFB, or label a multiview. Narrate the three moments people usually get wrong. Raw is fine. One take. Ship it.
2) Convert DMs into SOPs
If someone explained a task to you in Slack or WhatsApp, paste it into a one pager, add the steps, and save it. That is already training.
3) Put QR codes on the thing
Print a QR and tape it to the router, comms base, flypack lid, or studio door. If they can scan it, they will use it. For commentators coming to your shows, place a short instruction sheet with a QR on the cabin door.
4) Run a 10 minute doc sprint after the show
Each role adds one new doc or fixes one screenshot. Stop at 10 minutes. Do not perfect. Just ship.
5) Give someone one hour a week
Appoint an OPS Librarian. One hour weekly to rename files, update dates, clean up links. Rotate monthly so it stays fresh.
The minimal tool stack
Docs: Notion or Google Docs for your one pagers
Video: Phone camera plus Drive or Dropbox link, or unlisted YouTube
Screens: Loom, Descript, or QuickTime
Access: A single “Start Here” page for everything
On site: QR codes printed and taped where people look
No LMS. No hundred hour rollout. Keep friction close to zero.
Templates you can copy
One page SOP (500 words max)
Title: Working With Your Co Commentator for the First Time
Owner: Name. Last updated: YYYY MM DD
When to use: Before any show where you are paired with a new co commentator
Prereqs: Ten minute chat with your partner before going on air
Steps:
Share your preferred rhythm: who leads the open, who closes, how you handle replays, and how you pass the ball mid segment.
Align on terms you both use (player positions, set piece language, key phrases).
Agree on non verbal cues for interrupting, handing off, or asking for space.
Clarify how you want to handle corrections, stats drops, and referee calls.
Confirm how each of you prepares notes and where they live during the show.
Gotchas:
If you skip this conversation, you will spend the first half of a game learning each other live.
Success check:
Smooth handoffs, no talking over each other, and clear complementary roles instead of overlapping commentary.
Three minute video script
Hook: “Here’s how we patch booth IFB without killing talent audio.”
Show: Hands on the panel. Close up on the two switches that matter.
Say: “Two checks before you start. One mistake everyone makes. One green light that tells you you are done.”
End: “If it does not work, try X. If still dead, call Y.”
Role handoff checklist for production managers
Crew call times confirmed and distributed
Confirmation of accreditation pick up and venue access
Catering location and meal times shared with the team
Clear instructions on how to submit invoices and the required details
Print it. Pin it. Use it.
Metrics that matter
Time saved by having quick cabin setup notes or a QR linked guide
Fewer minutes lost hunting for contacts or the right tech person to call
Faster transitions between camera positions because you preserved your own notes
How many newbies were you able to help thanks to your basic documentation or videos.
These are simple. They tell you if the system is working.
Overcoming the common objections
“We do not have time.”
You do not need extra time. Just press record while doing the job you already do.
“Things change too fast.”
Date stamp and iterate. A 70 percent doc today beats a 0 percent doc forever.
“People will not use it.”
Make it easy. QR codes on gear. Pinned links. One reminder at crew call.
Your first step
Pick one task that always causes you a small panic or delay you. Next time you do it, record a quick video. Paste the link into a one page SOP. Tape a QR to the gear or save it on your phone. Congratulations. You just started a culture shift.
Example
Here you have a checklist that I have prepared and shared with our paid subscribers of this newsletter.
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Thank you for your support and for keeping me writing for you every week.
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