tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13705390348318175392009-07-08T21:46:24.274-04:00Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-1759254596879259012009-07-08T03:00:00.000-04:002009-07-08T21:46:06.797-04:00

As you consider promoting employees, forget the question “what have you done for me lately?” and instead ask “what will you do for me in the future? If you avoid thinking of promotions as rewards, and instead think of them as ways to get your top Creatives into positions where they can do more, you’ll improve your firm’s effectiveness dramatically.I recently attended a friend’s military

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-23254062174894939362009-07-06T03:00:00.003-04:002009-07-06T22:01:27.699-04:00

This blog starts from the assumption that you're already leading Creatives. If you are, that's great. But it might be the case that some folks who aren't yet in leadership positions are also checking this out, looking toward the day when they will be in charge. This post is mostly for them.Leading Creatives is different from being a Creative. Even if you're the most talented stylist/designer/

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-89290062591284331062009-07-03T03:00:00.002-04:002009-07-04T00:20:51.294-04:00

There's no simple prescription for recruiting Creatives, but there's one general guideline you can use: go social.The big job boards like Monster and CareerBuilder are still in business and still provide a lot of opportunities for you to get your job requirements out there and search resumes for active job seekers who might be right for you. But, as a recent article in Business Week points out

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-63616010729704875162009-07-01T03:00:00.002-04:002009-07-01T23:43:44.994-04:00

For many years tennis star Roger Federer didn't have a coach. Then, every now and then, he does. My question was, if he's the number one player in the world, what's a coach going to do for hm? I mean, how can a coach help him if he's not better than him?OK, I admit, I was being a little dumb. While Roger may be the best player in the world, that's not to say there aren't people who are better

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-76718193715677246822009-06-29T03:00:00.003-04:002009-06-29T08:12:39.575-04:00

Now, I’ll be the first to say you shouldn’t do things just to say you’re doing them. Unfortunately, a lot of leaders that say they embrace diversity may be saying that simply because it’s what they think they’re supposed to say, without really managing diversity within their workforce in order to improve their firms. But if you understand what diversity means and how it can help you, you’ll

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-63616985435002833332009-06-26T03:00:00.001-04:002009-06-29T01:31:24.697-04:00

Things happen that catch you off guard, and you can't always control that. Too often, though, you can, you just don't. Very often we get signs that something is happening or a trend is developing, but rather than looking into how it can affect us, we ignore it. It's kind of like getting sick but refusing to go to the doctor...often, by the time you do, the problem is a lot worse than if you'd

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-33692640212641009802009-06-24T03:00:00.002-04:002009-06-24T23:09:01.569-04:00

Work's fun, sure. I mean, it's what we all live for, right??? Yep, nothing better than spending 60 hours a week in the office. But still, no matter how much you enjoy spending hours and hours and hours working, sometimes it helps to take a vacation.One of the benefits you can, and should, offer your Creatives is a good vacation policy. It helps you, because it gives them a chance to get away

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-66824397946551064012009-06-22T18:00:00.001-04:002009-06-23T00:17:41.941-04:00

There was an interesting story today on All Things Considered about the impact of "social technology" in the workplace and the differences between generations. It got me thinking, and I figured I might as well think out loud here.The story addressed people who stay in touch with such things as Twitter, Facebook, SMS, Blackberries, through blogs, etc. there was some pretty broad generalizing of

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-42406508938138424962009-06-19T03:00:00.003-04:002009-06-19T03:00:50.078-04:00

In A Whole New Mind author Daniel Pink first outlines a bit of human history. He describes the Industrial Age, in which assembly line workers were the key, and the transition to the Information Age, when knowledge workers reigned supreme. Now he sees us moving into the Conceptual Age, where Creatives will be the main ingredient for success.This, Pink argues, increases the need for right-brained

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-18808557120140304722009-06-17T03:00:00.003-04:002009-06-17T23:01:47.170-04:00

Plenty of leadership books will tell you "get out from behind your desk, don't try to lead through e-mail." But what if e-mail is what your employees prefer?Your Creatives are more likely to flourish in a healthy work environment. Communication is one important piece of that environment. Simply applying a random management technique without worrying about whether or not it's appropriate may

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-32862617900964287972009-06-15T03:00:00.000-04:002009-06-15T22:45:46.811-04:00

One of the earliest posts in this blog discussed how to think outside the box by building bigger boxes. It's nice to see the rest of the world catching up with this line of thinking.In May the Boston Consulting Group published a report titled Thinking in New Boxes: How to Bring Fundamental Change to Your Business. The authors hit on some critically important points that address the need for "

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-65455056753474483922009-06-12T03:00:00.002-04:002009-06-15T22:18:39.929-04:00

Having a sense of vision and a long-term focus for your company are important. Knowing where you're going is a good thing. Just as important is understanding where you came from. Your history guided you to your present and sets the stage for your future, so it's important for your employees to know about it.This is more important for Creatives than it is for other workers who do repetitive

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-49693732282807031712009-06-10T03:00:00.000-04:002009-06-10T03:00:18.611-04:00

Talking with someone recently, I heard him ask "wouldn't you expect your boss to be the best in the firm at what you do?"Um, no. Personally, I'd expect that I'M the best in the firm at what I do. But that says more about my ego and ambition than my boss' abilities.My real answer, though, is that I don't necessarily want a leader who's the best possible designer/stylist/copywriter/whatever.

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-87738276252888499132009-06-08T03:00:00.000-04:002009-06-08T23:36:21.891-04:00

Creatives are often very motivated people...and if they aren't, they probably aren't the ones you want working for you anyway. One problem with such highly motivated people is that they tend to work when they shouldn't, like, when they're sick. It's bad for them, and it can be bad for your business. Employees who are ill aren't going to be 100% focused on their work. That's dangerous for

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-68697574510599231492009-06-05T03:00:00.001-04:002009-06-05T03:00:18.976-04:00

My dad used to have a little sports car, an Austin Healy. I don't remember every detail about that car but I do remember a little label he had right above the ignition key: "Engage Brain Before Engaging Engine"A similar reminder would be useful above every computer screen: "Rethink Before Hitting Reply."Many of your Creatives, especially the millenials among them, have grown up with the free

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-13422414061710612202009-06-03T03:00:00.002-04:002009-06-03T23:42:00.248-04:00

A friend of mine in Malaysia had an interesting Facebook status today:"someone wants me to hire him... and teach him everything I know... -.- why doesn't he pay me?"My friend is a designer, working in films and television and doing the sets for photo shoots. He's had a lot of work lately and needs an assistant, but this one applicant wasn't quite what he had in mind. When you're hiring new

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-80239617865296373442009-06-01T03:00:00.001-04:002009-06-02T00:02:19.881-04:00

We recently suggested here that there might be a correlation between creativity and living in a foreign country. In a recent issue just last month, The Economist picked up on the same study and offered some additional insight into it.The article, "Expats at Work," suggested thatAnecdotal evidence has long held that creativity in artists and writers can be associated with living in foreign parts.

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-31414944311169435642009-05-29T03:00:00.003-04:002009-05-29T19:57:20.342-04:00

I know from personal experience that the best way to learn about something is to teach about it. But that's not always possible. It can be tough to get out and find the time to teach a class. It can be even tougher to find a willing audience. Another option, though, is writing. When you write, you don't need your audience sitting in front of you. In fact, you can get many of the benefits of

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-31723560410313914412009-05-27T03:00:00.008-04:002009-05-27T23:52:59.986-04:00

A lot of points in this blog have, over time, suggested you do things for your Creatives, such as:creating the best possible working environment;empathizing with them;providing a variety of working options, such as telework;setting clear objectives and offering careful feedback;limiting the time they spend in meetings;All of these, and other suggestions, may sound like you're coddling your

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-37564440224582113642009-05-25T03:00:00.002-04:002009-05-25T03:00:09.935-04:00

Today is Memorial Day in the U.S., when we honor fallen servicemembers.If you want to learn something about leadership today, I suggest reading this.

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-75163406705653805492009-05-22T03:00:00.003-04:002009-05-25T13:34:41.958-04:00

Empathy is that quality by which you can understand others' perspectives and feelings, and for a leader that's pretty important. When you're leading Creatives, and have a pretty diverse workforce, it can also be pretty challenging.Your employees have skills theyre most interested din using or developing, problems affecting their personal and profesisonal lives, ambitions and goals, and plenty of

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-11896534943617272202009-05-20T03:00:00.000-04:002009-05-20T19:50:33.563-04:00

I've been thinking lately about who should be doing strategic planning in a firm, and I've kind of reconsidered my earlier views on the subject. While I still believe you need a diverse group of people with some degree of involvement, I've reconsidered exactly what role that group should have.There's a sense in many organizations that strategic planning should be done by everybody. That is to

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-82103712909136304292009-05-18T03:00:00.004-04:002009-05-18T23:49:03.674-04:00

We've talked before about the dangers of mandatory fun. But even though putting your Creatives into required social activities can be a bad idea, there's nothing that says they shouldn't do stuff together outside the office if they want to. The trick is to find something interesting and interactive, and when you're leading Creatives, "interesting" may involve more thought than normal.The office

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-90065274831782489022009-05-15T03:00:00.000-04:002009-05-15T03:00:14.611-04:00

A high turnover rate among your Creatives can cost you a lot, and not just in terms of money.There's a lab with which I work sometimes that recruits people with the expectation they'll only be there for a few years. Even though this lab does cutting edge work, it's located in a somewhat remote location. While that's OK for young people right out of school, it's not quite as great when they

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-1787276097133026012009-05-13T03:00:00.002-04:002009-05-13T03:00:14.992-04:00

As a leader you need to be able to evaluate your employees' work so you know what works and you can improve upon what doesn't. Measuring creativity, however, is hard to do. It's easy to know how many cases a detective solves or how many widgets an assembly line worker makes, but measuring how creative or innovative someone is...well, that's tricky.A recent survey by the Boston Consulting Group

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0