5 Tips for Managing Creative Employees

We live in exciting times. The speed of innovation is moving so fast that no one can afford to be complacent. Sitting on the sidelines will guarantee only one thing . . . obsolescence. To keep your business at the forefront, thriving amongst a sea of competitors, you need creative, innovative team members.

Truly creative employees have been described as:

• Self-confident
• Optimistic
• Enthusiastic
• Risk takers
• Uncompromising
• Having an unusual ability to concentrate
• Intensely absorbed in their work
• Comfortable with ambiguity
• Above average in intelligence
• Averse being bossed or policed

In short, they are exactly what you need to keep your business viable. However, many of us would agree that supervising truly creative people is never easy and often stretches the limits of our managerial repertoire.

While we may love them and their unique contributions, we are often challenged by what we love most about these out of the box thinkers. . . they just refuse to conform to the same guidelines as the rest of the team. Policies, procedures, protocol, deadlines, etc.; they were all developed for other employees, not your ‘creative.’

As challenged as you may be, there is hope. Read on for tips on how to motivate, nurture and, yes, maybe even gently corral some of the creatives on your team:

1. Value Their Uniqueness

   Although there are days when you say to yourself, “What was I thinking when I hired her?” Deep down inside, you know why you hired her. She thinks differently. She challenges your traditional approach. She chaffs at boundaries and questions why they should apply to her. In short, she can be high maintenance.

   Instead of thinking about the migraine she just gave you, focus on her unique talent and the gifts she brings to the team. To the extent that you can, accommodate her schedule. Be flexible. And, remind yourself, in this case, being different is exactly what you need to complement your team’s talent. Keep telling yourself, “Different is good.”

2. Get Them Connected

   Creatives are perfectly capable of going the distance on their own. The challenge is that sometimes, they are going down the wrong road. Early on in projects, make sure that they are connected to the team. Sometimes, in the interest of moving a project quickly, creatives are purposely left out of the planning stage, as they tend to take the team on tangents and slow down the process.

   Bad decision to leave them out. Instead, get them involved early on and ensure that they are on board with the goals, scope and timeframes for the project. Yes, the questions that they ask and the challenges they present do take time. However, the resulting brainstorming, collaboration and synergy ultimately leads to a better outcome. Get them involved early on to ensure positive outcomes.

3. Back Off

   Creative people don’t conform. That’s a positive, not a negative. They are wired differently and arrive at a destination via their own route. They are happiest when they receive little or no supervision. They work best in an independent and autonomous work environment, an environment where they have the ability to do what they do best; think, experiment, explore, create and have the freedom to make mistakes in their quest to improve or develop a product, process, or system.

   To the extent you can, provide them the autonomy, space and time to do what they do best, create. Creative people tend to be self-starters, so providing them the autonomy they need to be successful can be incredibly motivating.

4. Critique the Work, Not the Person

   Truly creative people are attached to their work. It is intensely personal and often their reason for being. When you give feedback, as you must in your supervisory role, do it with sensitivity. Choose your words carefully. Use words that question, teach or explain, but always tie it to the work, not the person.

   It’s okay to tell the ‘creative’ that the team is waiting for their contribution, and provide some suggestions for how the deadline could be met. However, you’ll alienate your ‘creative’ by saying, “It seems like you’re not focused. Here’s what you’re doing wrong.”

5. Stroke the Ego to Fuel the Fire

   Creatives want to be known for their talent and contributions. Although seemingly a solo-player, creatives care what their peers think, and value recognition given by the team. Receiving recognition for their success is a powerful intrinsic motivator.

   Be encouraging. True creatives take risks and have more failures than other employees who take a safer and more traditional approach to their work. Provide meaningful recognition for parts of the work that did go well, and support for getting beyond the failure. Convey your positive vision of the employee being successful and ultimately reaching the goal. Your undying confidence in this employee’s ability to be successful will be motivation to continue the battle until the victory is met.

Managing creative people is not easy. It forces you to think differently. It challenges your assumptions about what good employee behavior looks like. It makes you become more creative in managing people to get the best from each team member. Following the tips above will help you inspire creative thinking, enhance team synergy and help you achieve the best possible business results. In addition, there is one other benefit… your stress levels will be reduced and you’ll sleep better at night.

The post 5 Tips for Managing Creative Employees appeared first on Peter Barron Stark Companies.