Unconventional Tips To Lead Your Team
Having run a number of creative departments and looked after talented creatives from all walks of life, I took some time to reflect on what aspects gave the best results, the things that created a well oiled and collaborative team mentality, helping to produce the best creative work. Here’s what worked for me and my team(s).
After Work Drinks
Have you heard the saying ‘Teams are built in bars’? Now, this isn’t a sign to all head outside and get legless. No, it’s a chance to kick-back and talk over a few drinks. A chance to find out what you and your fellow work colleagues have in common. As a team leader, it’s up to you to get the ball rolling. Mingle. Get people talking. Interact. Start conversations flowing and then float from one conversation to another. If you’re not the type of person who can do this, then find one of your team and delegate this task to them. Talking is the crux of all communication. Years ago British Telecom did an entire campaign around the subject with Bob Hoskins saying ‘It’s good to talk!’ If it worked for British Telecom, it can certainly work for you and your team.
Off The Record (Listen, Understand, Act)
Once a month I would use the After Work Drinks (Friday evening) for an ‘Off The Record’ meet up. This was a chance for the team to chat candidly about gripes, niggles and upsets at work. No judgements were cast, any subject was up for grabs. It was a simple way for people to bring questions, views and opinions to the table. To talk about the things that were troubling or bothering them. No-one was fearful of losing their jobs or getting themselves into trouble by talking and getting something off their chest. If a subject was discussed and I could make amends, I would do so at the earliest opportunity. If a subject needed more manpower than I could muster, I would put wheels in motion. I found this to be an incredibly helpful approach to creating and maintaining a healthy work balance for all involved. Team output went up and close collaboration became a stable way of working.
Understand your team both professionally and personally
I honestly give a damn about the guys and girls that work in a team. I quietly keep notes about the things that are important to them. The music they like, places they’ve visited, goals they want to reach. This approach makes 1 on 1 meetings more productive and enjoyable. A little genuine small talk goes a long way. If I sense one of the team are ‘off-kilter’ I quietly have a word and see if there is anything I can do to help. It only takes a couple of words of encouragement and comfort to help ease someone who is going through a tough time. This approach pays huge dividends to both you and your team.
Transparency breeds Trust
I don’t believe it’s healthy to hide key information from the makers and do-ers in an organisation. Instead, I choose to be open and transparent about the work we are doing so that there is a real sense that ‘we’re all in this together’. Being open and honest with your team puts you in a position of great strength when you tell it as it is. Cherish the good times and share the challenges. You’ll be surprised at what a team will do to overcome something that seems impossible. I’ve witnessed this first hand and it truly builds character for you and your team.
Know when to step in and when to step back
When you work with a department of creatives that all have a role to play in a bigger project, it is important to know how to be the conductor of the orchestra. A team, once briefed, will fly out the gates and go hammer and tongs. If it’s a meaty brief, their energy level will be on fire and they will want to deliver great ideas and content. If your timeline allows it, allow your creatives to have a long leash to burn off that creative energy. You then need to reign in the group and see what work of theirs WORKS. Should there be a lack of results that doesn’t meet or surpass the brief, then it’s time to step in and offer some collaborative advice. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to solve the brief yourself. That will make you look like an arse. No-one wants the CD to solve the issue. No, a good CD will offer hints and tips on what to search for, sharing insights and examples to let the creatives connect the dots to solve the brief themselves. Only if the team(s) have exhausted all avenues and hit a brick wall or if time is against you, now would be the time for you, as the creative leader, to take over and deliver.
Fight for their work (Have their back!)
The majority of people in your team have a somewhat low self-esteem when it comes to their work. It’s true. They need their hard work to be handled with care when it comes to being reviewed, presented or sold to a client. All too often I’ve seen and heard terse comments and flippant remarks made when work has been shared with peers and superiors. When this has happened, I’ve been the first to remind these people to be respectful and be constructive with their feedback. If someone is missing the point, I’ll fight for work to save an idea but will agree that some degree of adaption may be needed. Always leave room for the owner of the work to find that adaptation. It’s their idea, their hard work. Let them find the solution.
Be a friend but be the boss
Yes, you need to be the boss, to tell your team what they need to do on any given project. No, you don’t need to be a jerk while doing it. I like the feeling of being involved when a new project is taking shape. I speak to my team in an engaging way, just as I do with my friends who know me outside of work. I honestly believe ‘It’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it’ speaks volumes. Friendly banter is good BUT you also need to be able to discuss difficult subjects with a more authoritative approach and tone. If a team member isn’t pulling their weight take them to one side and see what’s going on inside and outside of work (see ‘Understand professional and personal traits’ above). If this doesn’t help, it may be time to help form an action plan of what that person should be doing, and help them achieve the goals on the action plan. To do this, you’ll need to be a boss but also be a friend!
Push the play button — Encourage play to do better work
This section really is for the creative types out there. You’ve cracked an idea, you think its good and you’re about the put your feet up and rest on your laurels. But why? The brain is a fickle muscle and like most muscles, when it gets worked hard, it grows bigger and performs better. This is where Play comes into play.
If you’re an art director, why not look at some great design or art direction books/websites to nourish your mind on potential design layouts for your work. If you’re a copywriter, why not look at some provocative headlines (serious and funny) to see if that can jump-start your work in a new direction. There are countless ways to play. Play means having some fun. And when you’re having fun great ideas and concepts are born. This leads me to my favourite approach to the all working environments.
The Walls of Work (don’t hide your work on your computer)
I love and encourage putting all manner of thinking on to walls. I believe this is the ONLY way to work on any given project. Place every snippet, doodle, idea and design on to a wall for all to see. This way of working brings incredible results.
There is a scene in the film A Beautiful Mind when John Nash’s office door is opened and all his thinking is revealed. The walls are covered with words, numerals, newspaper cut-outs, scribbles and pieces of string attaching one thing to another. This is how the creative mind works. One seemingly boring headline could attach itself to another unrelated picture and suddenly your entire thinking is sent off on a new route of exploration.
As ideas become honed and sharpened, you see the connections right in front of your eyes. It also allows other team members to interject with thoughts and help elevate the work. Debate and collaboration make the work even sharper and stronger. Trust me, this approach is tried and tested. This is why war rooms are called War Rooms!
Why email when you can Slack!
Finally, I’m adding Slack for very good reasons. Slack is fun. It’s also intuitive and simply allows for a better way of working with your team.
If you haven’t heard of Slack. Google it and you’ll see ‘Slack. Where Work Happens.’
Just dig around and see what Slack can do. I’ve used Slack for years and still prefer it to any other communication tool in the agency or workplace.
I’ve created Slack channels for my team using the headers: Cough Cough Sick Day, Damn Alarm, Sorry I’m Late, Ouch I Overdid It Last Night. All this added to the fun and friendly nature of working in a productive team. It took the humdrum out of any boring day and turned it into something much more light-hearted. It also allowed us to create project channels to track projects and find information quickly while delivering our projects on time. With Slack, we could be serious and have a fun at the same time. Wherever I am working, I Slack, therefore I am. Try it out on a small team and see how it works for you.
If you have any other unconventional ways to lead your team, let others know. Leave your comments below.
(Unconventional Tips To Lead Your Team was first published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unconventional-tips-lead-your-team-craig-lovelidge/?published=t
