HOW TO DESERVE GREAT CREATIVE WORK.

I noticed something I never forgot during my first job as a Creative Director. I managed 8 “creative” people, 4 teams. At first I thought I knew which were the strong ones and which were weaker. Then I noticed that the “weaker” people did some great work and the “stronger” did some lousy work….the difference was the client! Some clients always got terrific results no matter who worked on their project.

Stellar clients give us lots of background information, approve the research we need , are open-minded, don’t have preconceived ideas about what the solution will be, and allow us to take risks that didn’t always pan out. Their contributions always made the work better. Also, they made quick decisions trusting their instincts rather than over-thinking something to death. They’re also terrific at getting the work approved in their company and I suspect it’s because these same qualities gain them trust at the top levels.

Most of my current clients are like that. I pick them as carefully as they pick their marketing partner because I want to do good work and I know we can’t do it without them. This would translate to an employer too. Do all of the above with your employees and I’ll bet you’ll get better solutions. Inspire people and allow them to be great.