Artist-manager relationship: Respect the decision-making process

Number three: You need to understand and respect the decision-making process. Decisions in the music business need to be made in a timely manner. Important decisions don't wait, they happen on their own timetable. Staying ahead of the process is key to maximizing the opportunities that present themselves. There will be a time for debate, but it won't go on forever, so make sure that you've made the time to be part of that debate. Make your feelings known. Make your case for what you believe. And in the music business there is no checklist of tidy answers when decisions need to be made. Inevitably, disagreements will happen, and when they do, it can be very uncomfortable for everybody. The only way to relieve that discomfort is by resolving to work through the disagreement. It's the manager's job to do the homework, to lay out the options and the ramifications of each decision, and then to make a recommendation based on their best instincts. If there is a disagreement, make sure the…