Posted on November 27, 2009 by Tahlent Team
Working with creative people is challenging as it is rewarding. While it can be stimulating to be surrounded by talented people and ideas in the midst of a creative environment, learning how to manage creative teams or co-workers is an art. And it needs to be pursued with care and attention.
The term “creative people” immediately brings to mind artists and writers. However, this definition includes musicians, RJs, application architects, architects, graphic designers, advertising professionals, filmmakers, landscape artists, photographers, sound engineers, nutritionists, clothing designers, etc.
Often, creative people are known for being eccentric, working flexibly and not following a set routine. They may sometimes be asocial and withdrawn and at other times flamboyant and articulate. They are often frustrated by regimented working hours and work conditions. However, creative teams may sometimes be a part of a larger corporate outfit and the rules that apply to the rest of the firm apply to them too.
To manage a creative team effectively it is important to understand the way creative people work, and ensure that productivity does not get sacrificed in the process.
Lack of inspiration is often cited as a reason for turning in poor quality work. Remember that while you can do everything to keep your creative team’s energies charged up, it’s just another day at work. You can’t produce creativity on demand by turning on a faucet, so there has to be an established code of work that is fair, stimulating, and result-oriented.
- Communicate briefs clearly and provide context while doing so
- Ensure that your team-members are aligned to a goal
- Drive home the point that your emphasis is on the outcome of the work rather than the hours spent on creating it
- Watch out for burnout and prevent it before it happens. If people are working overtime, ensure that they take necessary time off to recover and recharge their batteries
- Innovation is necessary but deadlines are sacrosanct. Build a framework that allows for timely reviews and interventions prior to submission or presentation of a project
- Foster a culture of openness and collaboration within the team. Do not encourage cliques within a team.
- If two creative people in a team do not get along, drive home the point that the odds shall favor the team player
- Be public with praise and discreet with criticism. While rejecting ideas, be sensitive to the person who generated them. However, take care not to undermine your own authority. Be frank and diplomatic, but also forthright
- Create a culture of mentoring – allow team-members to contribute to each others’ growth and learning
- Within the boundaries of company policy, enable access to learning tools, resources and activities
- Always celebrate accomplishments and dissect failures together and as a team
Tags: advertising professionals, application architects, architects, clothing designers, collaboration, creative people, creative team, creativity, deadlines, filmmakers, graphic designers, Innovation, landscape artists, managing creative teams, mentoring, musicians, nutritionists, openness, photographers, productivity, RJs, sound engineers, Talent, teamwork
Posted on November 24, 2009 by Tahlent Team
Even if you are not into cricket, you must have heard about Sachin Tendulkar. At 36, he is the world’s top cricketing superstar. In a career spanning 20 years, the Little Master, as he is known to his fans, has scored 43 Test centuries and 45 one-day international centuries. He continues to demolish record after record every time he steps on the field. When he enters the stadium, fans roar their support and adulation for him. He’s a national hero, an internationally admired icon and a role model for the old-fashioned gentlemanliness that cricket was once known for.
What does it take to be like Tendulkar? And what does it take to stay in the game for 20 years, and still remain as focused and determined as you did when you played your first game? And to continue to be motivated to give your best? What does it take to be unfazed when you are basking in fame and the blinding glare of the limelight?
There’s a lesson in Tendulkar’s career for all of us. It’s not just about sticking in a job for 20 years but about making every opportunity count. This is not to say that Tendulkar has experienced no setbacks or that he has lived a charmed life. As human as can be, the Little Master has had his share of injuries and low seasons when his critics wrote his career an early obituary. He bounced back each time. And now, at an age when most players bid adieu to professional cricket, he continues to do what he does well – delight and entertain the Indian cricket fans.
He is talented and disciplined, but the secret of his success boils down to attitude. Nearly everyone who has watched Tendulkar concurs that the man is determination personified. He has kept himself fit and in top shape despite his age. He has sharpened his focus by meditating on his game. When he is on the cricket field, he is a picture of studied concentration.
Though he has earned the adulation of critics he has not alienated his team-mates. Admired by his opponents and respected by his peers, he is “one of the boys”, a strong team-player and not one to let his seniority stop him from taking orders from a much younger captain. He is a mentor to juniors in the side and, at the same time, a continuous student of the game who has something to learn from everyone.
Tendulkar has made himself a legend not only by piling up runs but by creating the potential for surprises – he pulls one out of the hat just when you have written him off. He has never rested on his laurels and has always produced that something special to silence his critics. And yet, he maintains that he is an ordinary man doing what he does best.
Whatever be the pressures of his workplace, Tendulkar has attested the need for work-life balance. After-hours, family time takes top priority. He has mentioned in a number of interviews that his wife has helped him maintain that balance.
In handling injury, criticism, failure or disappointment, Tendulkar has been gracious. In media appearances, he has never been called for unsporting remarks. Humility has always been a hallmark of his persona.
Discipline, integrity and sincerity, topped by honest hard work and a never-say-die attitude – that’s what keeps the world’s top cricketer ticking. In short, whatever the profession, the same principles apply.
And there’s a lesson in that for everyone who aspires to a stellar career.
Tags: Career, career productivity, cricket, dedication, determination, focus, indian, mentoring, Sachin Tendulkar, talented, teamwork
