Managing creative types
GLAMOROUS fields like advertising, fashion designing and the world of art and literature are more artistic, creative and innovative than others. They also attract talented people who thrive on free thought, creative freedom, and complete chaos. However, having said that, sometimes you could end up with a creative type (the long hair, messy desk and a two day stubble are the advertising staples) even in the highly structured, organised and no-nonsense profession like accounting or banking. Let's admit, there are not many professions that can afford to do without a few of these intuitive, resourceful types who can always come up with innovative suggestions and inspired ideas.
Managing and motivating the Albert Einsteins and the Henry Fords of organisations is no cakewalk.
Still, if handled deftly, managing creative individuals can be an enjoyable and challenging experience. If you have some such people in your organisation here are few ideas for managing them right!
Cultivate a creativity-inducing space: As much as possible, provide your employees with an environment that is conducive to creativity.
Even if you are working in dreary offices or box-like cubicles, find a way to make the creative workers' space appealing. When Bob Brunner who led a design team in Apple Computers first took charge, his team was stuck in cubicles (just like everybody else) in the corner of the engineering building.
He immediately hustled his group to another building where they took standard-issue Apple furniture and rearranged it in a slightly off-kilter pattern.
Everything was at 45-degree angles and half the partitions were left out. In Brunner's own words, "It set up the idea that there are different ways to do things."
Give them creative freedom, within limits: Creative people tend to be task focussed, rather than process focussed. A difficult challenge excites them. "Creativity is not like an assembly line," asserts Simon Williams, CEO and president of the New York-based brand-strategy firm The Sterling Group. "Managers must realise these are human machines, and they break down, get angry, get drunk."
As much as possible, creative people should have the freedom to work on their own terms. Make sure your employees are given time and room to think, explore, question, even play and have fun. At the same time, you also need to provide enough structure to keep your creative employees on track and on schedule.
Left to themselves, many creative people will neglect the less interesting, routine aspects of their work.
So do set limits, specify problems clearly and let them know when it is time to complete the task and move on to something new.
One must remember that the intention of setting boundaries for creative people is not restrictive, but directive.
Most creative people tend to crave more recognition than the rest of us. They are also unusually sensitive to criticism and rejection. So don't skimp on the praise. Be open to new ways of working. Add a bit of fun to work and give them the freedom to do their own thing.
The bottom line is: managing creative people can be frustrating but also intensely rewarding.
Developing the special skills and the required patience will keep you from having a nervous breakdown while they take their time working on that brilliant idea, amazing new design, or anything else they can dream up.
BINDU SRIDHAR
faqs@cnkonline.com
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