If Creative Directors were a member of a band I think they would play bass. Why? It’s relatively easy to learn to play bass. But it’s rare that people put in the time to become exceptional. Most people don’t remember the name of the bassist and that’s okay. Bassists aren’t in it for the glory, but if they do their job… the rhythm is gonna get you.
6 Tips for creative leads/managers:
- Defend a healthy team culture.
- Creative types rarely work well under micro-management.
- Hire great people and work hard to find out what need to excel.
- Be generous with meaningful compliments.
- Don’t be quick to make decisions that you don’t need to make. Delegate.
- The best projects happen when everyone is allowed to function in their sweet spot.
5 Things I’ve learned the hard way:
- Determining culture fit in a couple hours of interviews is more challenging than it sounds.
- Good people move on.
- If you have a culture fit issue, waiting it out doesn’t seem to pay off.
- Most staffing issues can be fixed by “just acting like a Christian.”
- Opinions are better in the back seat than in the driver’s seat.
Disclaimer, I’m no expert. I’ve hired a good number of good people and lost a good number of good people. There are lots of books and conventional wisdom on hiring that usually agree on three points.
Look for a fit for in the areas of culture, character and competency.
Not an original thought, but pretty tried and true.
Hey creatives, what makes a great boss?
