Yin And Yang Of Creative Management How Conference

The Yin & Yang Of Creative Management David C Carrithers, Chief Bee Keeper

Work & The Creative Spirit

A Thought

Creative Thinking

1. Purge : Dispose of old prejudices, procedures and presuppositions that could and do constrict your thinking.

2. Prod: Attack challenges in ways that force you to consider new solutions and new courses of action.

3. Precipitate All of a sudden, out of nowhere, out drops something wild because we're thinking differently.

Guy Kawasaki

Another Thought

“ All things are created twice: first mentally; then physically. The key to creativity is to begin with the end in mind, with a vision and a blueprint of desired results.”

- Stephen Covey

Insight Into Your Sherpa

Dave Carrithers

Managed creative organizations, groups and businesses from 2 to 150

20 years experience in semiconductor, chemicals, consumer products, incentives, stored-value & debit cards, development

Communications, Marketing, IT, Sales, NBD, Operations

Focus on product, business & market development

PR, Design, Web, Trade Shows, Direct Mail, Data Base, Advertising (TV, Prints, Radio, Bill Board), Copy Writing

Developed $2 billion in incentive products and revenues

Managed in a 12 month period over 300 creative projects

Insight Into The Group

Most are in the design business, along with web, advertising, public relations and some strategic consulting

Most have less than 25 employees, with the majority under 10

Most feel that their jobs are more about babysitting, and being the master/ guiding light (a few added ‘the boss’)

Most have between 4 years and more than 10 years in creative management

Equal amount feel clients understand and don’t understand the creative process

Most do not have a fully developed and/or defined project management process

BusinessHive Study

The Goal Of This Journey

In businesses such as yours, the dueling forces of creativity and business can sometimes blur the corporate vision. We will explore some simple tools for achieving a balance between creative satisfaction and the bottom line. You’ll learn how to develop a project-management approach that brings customer value , but doesn’t create a mountain of paperwork; how to motivate a creative staff , but keep the focus on profitability; and how to implement an employee-recognition program that generates results and re-recruits your team every day.

Hope To Get Out Of The Session

How to balance freedom & control

Maintaining a contractor/manager relationship

Ideas on improving management style & processes

See & hear about what others are doing

Boundaries

Tips on pulling out of a bad mood

Clarity, camaraderie & energy

Insight into relationship management ideas

Better tools for creative types

Ideas for a more stimulating environment

Sharing ideas with other design & studio owners

New methods for encouraging team work

New methods to inspire creativity

How to streamline our process

Inspiration, insight & validation

Balance budgets Vs. creative time

Project management ideas

Motivating account staff to think creatively

Building teams out of left vs. right brainers

Renewed interest in the business

Better focus for the future of my business

Management tools & help

Management insight

See how others are doing it

New ideas & leadership skills

Employee reviews & happiness

Project management process ideas

Profit/creative satisfaction balance

How do others divide job tasks

Creative Management Creativity Business

Creative Management Shouldn't Be

Creative Management Could Be

Meeting Thought

Creative management is no accident. It is all about planning & strategy to allow both the chaos of creative individualism to operate within a defined and developed business process.

Successful creative doesn’t just happen .

The good of the one outweighs the good of the many

Today We Will Explore

The necessary processes of managing a creative business

The necessary spirit & Zeitgeist of a creative business

The unsaid elements that impact life & sanity when heading up a creative business

Sharing of ideas & experiences

Ideas on tools to help

The Fine Print: for today to be a worthwhile investment everyone must – share, be involved and think!

In Simple Terms

Processes

Formats

Requirements

Project Software

Performance Reviews

Billing

Offices

Schedules

Training

Budgets

Successful Creative Management Is More Than It Is: ‘ Leadership Of Ideas Focused On A Cause!’

The Animals We Have In The Room

Dove – totally beautiful, peaceful, yet able to soar

Golden Retriever – trusted, sturdy, lovable

Panther – sleek, smooth & aggressive

Owl – wise, knowledgeable & able to turn 360

Peregrine Falcon – fly where I want, ride thermals

Lion – king of the jungle

Cat – agility and can clean themselves

Dog – like being lazy

Bear – not worry about anyone else do what I want

Tortoise – plan & plod slowly, resolute, cautious

Fox – cunning, swift, beautiful, resourceful, family oriented

Human – I’m tired of running around like a dog

Phoenix – continually recreating myself

Tico & The Golden Wings

Share Your

Worst & horrible moment in creative management

Most memorable & proud moment in creative management

Challenging Thoughts

Could all the tactics of business management get in the way of what is required to make your business succeed?

Could you be doing everything that is taught in business management and still miss the mark?

Could you be impacting the lives of those on your team and not realize the cost in human spirit?

Lesson Of The Red Suit

All people, no matter age, race or history have basic wants & needs

Adults are the children they were

When we have a beard & costume to hide behind we let our humanity come though

Sometimes, listening is more important than delivering

A Few Questions?

How many of you really listen to what your clients need (not so much want)?

How many of you correctly convey the requirements of the client project to the people who need to get it done?

How many of you create a spirit of creativity, growth and security in your work environments?

How many of you have a relationship with your clients & employees that is enriching and gives you energy?

How many of you have a mission that is beyond the bottom line?

Look Inward & What Do You Find?

How would you describe yourself?

A leader?

A risk taker?

A coach?

A teacher?

A business person?

A facilitator?

A judge?

Successful Creative Organizations

Vision and mission statement that goes beyond the owners / business driver

Clearly defined roles & responsibilities

Freedom to think and try new things – even fail without persecution (look at it as a learning)

Reward & praise openly, criticize and coach in private

Strong project management process, self developed but takes benchmarked think from elsewhere

Performance reviews that include input from peers, customers and self

A Connection of creative results to business results

Either Be Comfortable Or Productive Level Of Anxiety Team Performance Complacency = Boredom/Apathy Creative Tension = Excitement Terror = Flight or Catatonia Managing Creativity, by Donna Shirley

Successful Creative Organizations

A confident leader at the helm that is OK with different views, ideas and solutions

Bring the client into the process, as an advocate – this means bring the creative team closer to the client

Continual training and education

Formal & informal communications approaches

Listening skills

Continually demonstrations and dialogue on business and why things are done and why not – NO forced actions and beliefs

A THINKING ORGANISM

The Creative Employee Brain & Heart Different because of the nature of creative people

Insights – Creative Employees

When are you most creative at work & why?

Distractions are minimal and clear direction in terms of what the project needs to encompass

Environment that encourages the right mood is vital

Knowing the deadline & why

Resources, energy & deadline

Certain amount of bad stuff before you can make good stuff, it’s fairly easy to make mediocre stuff on the first try

When I’m by myself and have a chance to hear my self think and let my mind wander – rather than the feeling I get when I stay within boundaries at “creative meetings”

BusinessHive creative research study, July 2001

Insights – Creative Employees

Biggest Beefs/Concerns?

Lack of understanding as to what needs to happen to make a job happen

Creative must use their talents, but some projects are better suited for different styles

Wanting the best results with the least amount of time to do it and the least resources – only thing to draw upon is your energy and there is a price to pay

Slick & cool looking does not equal good idea

Taking the day-to-day and even bigger things people do for granted and not recognizing accomplishments through salary and pats-on-the-back

Insights – Creative Managers

On Managing Creative Teams?

Creativity doesn’t happen between 9 to 5 – allow flexibility in place & time – maybe provide lap tops

Provide training, all types, to allow growth in the individual

When assigning teams make sure the personalities match up/ work and fairly divide up the work on a team

The past was about individuals getting noticed, a great TV or print campaign. Now it is the entire relationship with the consumer and customer

It is all about the team – no room for individual glory

Today is about every-single-day sort of attention and effort

Immediacy, the old adage about the biz used to be ‘but what have you done for me lately?’ Now- a-days ‘lately’ is the last 10 minutes. No time to look back – the only way is up!

What’s my role as a creative? Used to be that, even through a creative person might feel pressure and unwanted input from the client, once they got to the shoot, or the edit or the press check they felt like they were in control. Now it might be a clients IT department? Point is – creative people are having a tough time finding their ‘stake’ in the process

Today creative business need multi-disciplined, multi-taskers who can think

Get rid of deadwood fast

Tough for creative folks to be as heroic as in the past, it is important for creative businesses to respect and congratulate the breakthrough creative thinking

A year ago money was no object. Guess what? It is an object

Creativity is a curvy thing it doesn’t always happen on schedule or in a vacuum

I had this really creative designer, but he was so hard to handle. He truly believed his so called creativity gave him license to flout an organization’s rules and common courtesies. As long as he regularly produced good ideas, he could afford to act the part of a corporate free spirit.

Personal Insight: Catalog Team Amuck

10 people in the business

Dedicated to catalog design & production

Strong technical leader, no vision

Worked off each previous year

Employees had no team & no voice

Headed for complete breakdown

68 year old owner of the company added to the breakdown

Personal Insight: Catalog Team Amuck

Met with leader first

Then each player one-on-one in their offices, more formal and no more than 10 minutes

Next met one-on-one in a more casual environment (grab a soda)

Craved leadership not dictatorship, wanted vision

Manager thought he was doing the right thing – never asked, never even thought to

Creative Management

Acknowledge creative contribution

They want credit for their ideas

Loathe those who take credit for their ideas

Creative people can’t be fit in into tidy stereotypes

Develop a mission and value statement that all buy-into:

Truth, trust, respect & unity

Share your experiences, ideas & changes

Let Me Share A Story

Sir Ernest Shackleton’s British Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914 to 1916 with the goal of accomplishing the first crossing of the Antarctic continent, a feat he considered to be the last great polar journey of the "Heroic Age of Exploration."

In December 1914, Shackleton set sail with his 27-man crew, many of whom, it is said, had responded to the following recruitment notice:

"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success. —Ernest Shackleton."

Let Me Share A Story

Endurance crew spent 2 years in the Artic circle and on the ice

Shackleton said all of them would get home

They were experienced polar explorers

They accomplished the unheard of:

Survived the sinking of their ship

Minimal food stores

Sailing the most dangerous seas on the planet

Crossing an uncharted mountain range

How? Shackleton’s Leadership

1. Never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and focus energy on short-term objectives.

2. Set a personal example with visible, memorable symbols and behaviors.

3. Instill optimism and self-confidence, but stay grounded in reality.

4. Take care of yourself: Maintain your stamina and let go of guilt.

5. Reinforce the team message constantly: "We are one—we live or die together."

6. Minimize status differences and insist on courtesy and mutual respect.

7. Master conflict—deal with anger in small doses, engage dissidents, and avoid needless power struggles.

8. Find something to celebrate and something to laugh about.

9. Be willing to take the Big Risk.

10. Never give up—there's always another move.

Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition

Break Time Thoughts

‘ Of all the things a leader should fear, complacency should head the list.’

John Maxwell

Charisma is a liability -- something to be overcome, like a speech impediment.

Executive compensation and company performance are not linked.

Technology has nearly zilch to do with sparking a company's transformation from run-of-the-mill to top-of-the-hill.

- Built To Last, Jim Collins

Break Time Thoughts

Under the guidance of this modest but determined leader, a company must come to terms with three tough questions:

1. What can it be the best at?

2. What drives its economic engine?

3. And what are its people passionate about?

- Built To Last, Jim Collins

Tools To Channel Creative Powers David Carrithers

Getting Creative On Track

A Little Demonstration

One Volunteer From The Audience Please!

A Thought

Be Ready

‘To every person there comes in their lifetime that special moment when you are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to you and your talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds you unprepared or unqualified for work which could have been your finest hour!’

- Sir Winston Churchill

The Following Will

Reduce turn over

Build employee & team loyalty

Reduce individual stress, especially among quite types

Reduce or eliminate surprises

Allow for changing direction & gaining buy in

Build a ‘thinking organization’

The Necessary Tools To Manage

A mission & values statement

Roles & responsibilities

Career direction setting & determining

Appropriate project management

Feedback & communications (formal & relaxed)

Mission & Values Statement

Why?

Creative types need a mission & vision to believe in and rally behind

They need to feel that they have been a part of developing it

Should be up-dated at minimum 2 times a year

Attached copies of one example of how to do it

Remember, once you do it live it

You need to be a living example

Roles & Responsibilities

Have done before you hire someone

Clear definition of job personalities and the positions role within the organization

The position should not be designed for a specific person

Clearly out line:

Job description

Who they report to and who reports to them

Any specific areas of additional responsibilities

Client interaction expectations, etc.

Individual Career Direction Setting

Before you hire spend one-one-one non-formal time (small group even better)

More than performance reviews every six months – ‘daily adjustments’

Chance to benchmark personal success

Encourage maintaining personal portfolios & resumes: Why? Reminds the individual of all they have accomplished

Carry out 360 degree feed back

Personal development & training plan

Time management, presentation skills

Appropriate Project Management

Personal Insight:

“ Be super creative, as long as it’s green & fits in a number ten envelop!”

Appropriate Project Management MethodLogic – Creative Commerce Group Project tools over kill Project tools drive results Over Chinese food great ideas 1 day design session = great input Freely misses plan dates Project plan dates are everything Entrepreneurial fluid thinking Industrial linear thinking Works in bursts 24 hours a day Works intensely 8 to 5 Interactive – easily gets off track Guarded interactions Develops by trial & error - reactive Develops by milestones & proactive All about originality & success All about knowledge & resources Creative Thinking Task-Based Thinking Challenge me! I love the interaction! Do not challenge me!

Build a process that brings value to the client, beyond completion of the project, on-time & on-budget (more than budget management)

Most overlooked element is requirements gathering – the more questions the better

Build a list, as a team, of every possible question that you could ask to help make sure the client gets what they need

Regurgitate what you hear and learn

Hold cross functional team meetings on large projects

Include in performance reviews % time followed/complete

Project management training

Sell your process as much as your creative ability

What you need to take into account:

Project owner

Requirements gathering step (questions & understanding)

Confirmation

Group / Resource assignment

Milestones/ Dates

Who does what, when and to whom

Communications and confirmation

Priority setting

Completion & feed back

Never assume anything!

‘Human Factor’ In PM = Velocity

Determine up front how much or little the specific project requires the tools, tracking and formal processes

Create a vision the team can belive in, including how fast and why

Create a sense of urgency and action (if it can be done now then do it)

Important means speed – velocity only comes with a clear understanding of where you started and where you are going

Make it real, make it tangible

The pace of the leader sets the pace of the pack!

Feedback & Communications

Formal

Employee surveys

Performance reviews

Client benchmarking

Industry research & reports

Relaxed

One-on-one conversations

Quick surveys after a project

The Business World Today…

Creates leadership vacuums:

Consensus management

Group think

Political correctness

The tallest blade gets cut first

Fear of risk

No where are these points written – they are learned!

I’m Here To Tell You …

It is not going to be the technology

It is not going to be the client

It is not doing to be the tools

It is not going to be the management

You are the single most critical element to a successful creative team…

U

A Quick Story

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Mike Abrashoff took the worst ship in the Navy and transformed it into the top ship in the Pacific Fleet.

In 1997, Abrashoff, a well-decorated officer, was assigned command of the USS Benfold, a ship with a $60 million budget and a crew of 300. Under his people-first leadership, crew retention increased from 28 to 100 percent, the ship achieved best-ever results in every competitive category, and it consistently operated at 75 percent of budget, returning millions to U.S. taxpayers. To cap off Abrashoff's success, the Benfold won the prestigious Spokane Trophy for the best ship in the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet.

Break Time Thoughts

Killer Be’s

Be brave!

Be bold!

Be adventurous!

Be courageous!

Be persistent!

The best way to predict your future is to create it!

Improving Performance David Carrithers

Individual Performance Improvement

Thoughts

The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.

~ William James

I think the problem of management of creative people is both fantastically difficult & important. - Abraham Maslow

Employee Insights

All businesses have employee problems

Most companies operate between the world of employee myth and reality

Employee Insights

Employees were asked what they would be willing to do to earn a trip valued at $2,000:

79% Improve attitudes

71% Increase workloads

68% Work more hours

67% Increase the speed and intensity of work

(Wirthlin Worldwide, Aug. 2001)

Average cost to find, hire, train a new employee = $20,000 to $50,000

Employee Insights

A study of CEOs by Transearch, an executive recruiting firm, 46 percent of respondents said that finding good people and keeping them is their single biggest worry . Similarly, three quarters of the corporate officers in a McKinsey study said their companies had insufficient talent or were "chronically talent-short across the board."

The number of 35-to-44 year olds -the critical wellspring of management talent-is expected to decline 15 percent by 2015 , according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

"At the end of the day, we bet on people , not strategies." Larry Bossidy, CEO AlliedSignal

Types of Programs

Attendance

Suggestions (reduce costs, generate revenue, quality of life)

Quality Initiatives

Safety

Service Anniversary

Employee/Sales Referrals

Honor & Recognition

Productivity

Team Building

Change Management

Customer Service

Gift (Holidays, etc.)

Training/Certification

On-the-Spot Thanks

‘Individual Success’ = Spirit

Utilize recognition & incentives

Non-cash rewards are better

Both team and individual rewards & recognition

Reward for each milestone or important result

Say thank you, in writing and in group settings

Hold up performers

Hold a kick off meeting followed up with an activity

Reward positive behaviors openly, handle poor behaviors privately and one-on-one (use as a learning experience)

Get management to ‘stop by’ performing individuals cubes/offices or meetings to say ‘I heard and wanted to say…’

Create performance legends & stories

Positive spirit begins with you

‘ The moment people in an organization are recognized, they will act to get recognition. The moment they realize that the organization rewards for the right behavior, they will accept it.’

Peter Drucker – WSJ

Positive, Immediate and Certain

Change requires a motivator - what gets rewarded gets done

Award needs to have meaning and be beyond the living basics

Cash is limited in promotion value, long-term remembrance and excitement

Motivation Basics Psychic Income Monetary Needs

Move beyond the basic needs, “more than monetary”

Tap into the psychic needs

Look beyond the common place, every day

Maslow’s Pyramid Self- Realization Fulfillment of potential Personal Esteem Honor, job importance, title Social Acceptance Love, togetherness, teamwork, recognition by family, friends, neighbors Security From economic and physical danger Physical Comfort Food, drink, clothing, shelter

Non-Cash Rewards Are More Powerful

NON-CASH REWARDS

Offers special recognition — “trophy value,” peer recognition, bragging rights

Have a higher perceived value — are less expense than cash because of perceived value

Have more impact than cash because they are promotable, memorable, and special

CASH

Is cold and non-emotional

Is confidential — not socially acceptable to brag about how much cash you have

Can never have a higher perceived value — $100 is always $100

Doesn’t stand out because it’s not unique, memorable nor promotable

VS

Trophy Value

Tangible symbol - more than cash compensation

Provides sense of award prestige

Lasting memory of effort and sponsoring company - impact

Reinforcement to motivate future behavior

Type Of Rewards

Large merchandise catalogues

Catalogues from retail/direct mail companies

Wide variety of merchandise from manufacturers

Group and individual travel

Retail gift certificates

Universal gift certificates

Web certificates/ points

Open incentive cards

Cash/Payroll

Trophies/Plaques (H&R)

Logoed merchandise

Event tickets

In-kind/discounts/coupons

Frequent flyer miles

Phone Cards

Selective or “filtered” incentive cards

Have a strategy for reinforcing the new behaviors that align with your new work design - Creating a successful team structure requires changes in behavior for everyone . Identifying the desired behaviors, and reinforcing them immediately, will bring about a smoother change.

Use a demand-pull model for motivating employees - The specific, team-supportive behaviors expected from employees should be clearly communicated. As team members and leaders begin to use these behaviors and become more self-directed, they should be given more control and more freedom to act, make decisions, gain autonomy, get access to reward/celebration funds, etc. With this approach, teams are motivated to move forward, receive more training, and excel within the team system.

Reference: Daniels, Aubrey. Bringing Out the Best in People

Make the criteria for receiving reinforcement and rewards clear and achievable - The more unclear contingencies for rewards are, the more confusion and skepticism employees will exhibit .

Reward and reinforce individual efforts as well as team performance - Individual recognition is important, but use it to reinforce a members contributions to the team.

Empower teams gradually and systematically - turn over responsibilities such as self-management and decision making only when team members are ready, and initially provide a limited scope for them. Handing over complete empowerment immediately , especially when employees are not used to it, can be disruptive and counter-productive.

Other Ideas

Find ways to help employees lives by offering service for performance, like lawn care, house cleaning, chef in the house

Hold peer review session twice a year where each member presents what they think is the best they have done and why – let peers review, stay out of it (yet make sure it doesn’t get nasty)

Have activities that involve the family

Topic Change

Preparedness Ideas:

Meet with employees to build a plan of action in case of disaster

Build a phone and e-mail list (including personal contact information) and mail to all homes, keep a copy in safe deposit box

Reference attached article

Final Thoughts

Energy, effort and enthusiasm are all parts of successful creative efforts. Take care of yourself physically. Eat & exercise sensibly. Get enough rest and relaxation. Creativity and creative life are marathons, not hundred-yard dashes.

The environment you fashion out of your thoughts, your beliefs, your ideals, your philosophy is the environment you live in.

Thank You For Your Time

David Carrithers, Chief Bee Keeper

Providing consulting services for business individuals looking for honest and straightforward counseling, coaching & implementation of business solutions that improve profit performance and loyalty with employees, channels and customers . www.BusinessHive.com