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| William Conner house, built 1823. Fishers, Hamilton County, Indiana |
After returning from ten days pursuing
my 1820’s ancestors in Indiana, I reviewed the many pieces of
information I collected. All of the various elements needed to be
analyzed, and organized into the appropriate digital folders on my
computer. New research objectives were set.
During this process, I realized how
much more successful any kind of research can be, especially when
leaving the house, if techniques from the world of business are
applied. This is true whether the goal is a trip to the local
courthouse or cemetery, or when traveling across the country to a
major repository.
Thinking of myself as working for my
own small company, I first do as much groundwork as possible, to
thoroughly prepare myself for success before I leave home. In the
world of genealogy, the first step is looking at what I already have,
and what information I need in order to make progress. Next, I study
the jurisdictions for the kinds of records I hope to access, where
the records are currently held, and the days and hours the
repositories are open. I make contact with individuals via email or
phone call, introduce myself and explain my needs. Often this leads
to suggestions for other stops to make on my itinerary, or they offer
to pull specific materials prior to my arrival.
I spend as much time learning about
finding aids, and studying the online catalog, as possible. I
prioritize and collect the information most likely to be helpful to
me. This is similar to being up to date on my products, checking out
the competition, and learning about potential customers, before a
business trip. I follow up with phone calls right before leaving
home, to learn about unexpected closures, or whether any key
personnel will be unavailable. Hopefully I can make adjustments to
my itinerary as necessary.
By now, I've probably started to make
the actual travel arrangements. Not having a huge “expense
account,” I work to maximize my time, while getting good value for
my money. This may mean spending a little bit more on a hotel room
close to an archive, and not having to drive and pay for parking
every morning. Or, it may mean staying in a room with a refrigerator
and a microwave, and consuming meals from groceries I can buy nearby.
Successful time
management can contribute greatly to achieving goals in business.
For me, that means planning out the day, so that I arrive first at
the place with the earliest opening time, and move on to the place
that closes the latest in the day. I also allow time before it gets
dark to drive around taking photographs at various locations where my
ancestors lived, or at cemeteries. I spend part of the evening going
over new data, and planning a list of priorities for the next day, or
at the next stop. Stepping away from the topic of genealogy
can also be beneficial. Carving out time to go swimming, or taking a
walk outside, makes me feel relaxed and refreshed, and better able to
get a good night’s sleep. This helps my ability to focus when the
day starts all over again.
To keep my
itinerary running as smoothly as possible, I try to make allowances
for the everyday tasks, that when ignored, can lead to problems. Before driving off
in a rental car, I check how things like the windshield wipers,
headlights, and access to the gas cap operate. This will make for
much safer driving. Figuring out mileage distances before leaving
home is a must, for arriving at businesses while they're still open!
And, keeping an eye on the fuel gauge in an unfamiliar car is
critical, especially while visiting an out-of-the-way cemetery, or
the location of a rural property.
While I may not be selling an actual
product, or arriving for a job interview, I still need to make a good
first impression. Walking into a county courthouse, archive, or
library, I want to look well-groomed and presentable. Being comfortable and practical shouldn't slide over into looking sloppy.
The person on the other side of the
desk should be treated as a colleague, who has the expertise to help
me. Or, perhaps that person could direct me to someone who can. I
need to be aware that my attitude and timing could make the
difference in engaging “my colleagues” in helping me achieve my
research goals. Arriving at 4:45 on a Friday afternoon, or Monday
morning at 8:15, and demanding everything in their records about the
Smith family sometime during the 1800s, “Because they're public
property and I have a right to know,” probably won't get me very
far.
When I return from the trip, I take
time to thank the people who have been of help to me along my
travels. I might make a donation to a local society or museum, whose
personnel were generous with their time and knowledge, or write a
complimentary email to an employee's supervisor. This is similar to
maintaining a useful business contact list. It isn't uncommon to
realize that I might need help in the future, and I want to have a
good connection with these individuals.
Applying as many of the elements as I
need to from this list, I am in a better position to make a success
of “the family business,” or in this case, the business of
family.
