5 Reasons Creatives Hate Working for…

Leading creative people is like herding cats. They sometimes appear to be all over the place, to be mischievous, off in their own worlds, extremely curious and can be a tad hard to manage at times. But your business needs them and they need you, and when you get to understand and know creative people, gain their confidence and respect, then extraordinary things happen.

Unfortunately most leaders don’t take the time to understand that creative people work, behave and think differently and that in order to utilize their genius you need to provide them with a stimulating and conducive environment. So…here’s 5 mistakes that businesses make which will ensure their creative people will hate working for them.

1. Segregate them. Creative people love hanging out with other creative people. It’s stimulates them, allows them to bounce ideas around, gives them a sense of camaraderie. So whatever you do, make sure your creative people get to network and hangout with others (within and without your organization).
2. Same, same, same. Creative people love variety. They are by nature curious. It’s what creativity is all about… trying new things, exploring new territories, it’s what keeps creative people fresh and inspired. So whatever you do, don’t keep giving them the same brief just because they did a good job last time. Mix it up, challenge them, and keep things interesting.
3. Contain their expertise. In a recent survey we conducted, one of the key things that kept popping up for creatives was the ability to keep learning new skills. It’s important to allow your creative people to attend courses and seminars or just hang out in other areas with other people and learn how to do different things. And don’t be too concerned if it’s not industry or job related because it all adds and the best inspiration often comes from outside sources.
4. Play the money game. Listen. One thing I know from experience is that most creative people really love stability of income and although it’s not always their major driver it is important. So you need to pay them well and pay them consistently. If you start playing games financially you’ll only upset things.
5. Act superior. One thing you can never do with creative people is act superior or above them. Although Creative people understand and appreciate hierarchy and chain of command, what they don’t respect or like is someone who throws their weight around. Creative people are happy knowing someone’s in charge, and knowing what’s required of them, but they also need your respect. So lead them, mentor them, guide them, include them but don't manage them or boss them about.

Courtesy: Nigel Collin