tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13705390348318175392009-07-29T23:46:13.703-04:00Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-36236752963205369012009-07-29T03:00:00.003-04:002009-07-29T23:46:13.729-04:00

Last Sunday's Washington Post offered up a front page article on "digital nomads."We've talked before about telework and the benefits, as well as the challenges, it offers. The concept of digital nomads refines that a bit, suggesting that your teleworkers are spending more time out of their homes and in coffee houses, parks, ornate hotel lobbies, and other spots that strike their fancy. The

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-74469095291492294342009-07-27T03:00:00.002-04:002009-07-27T03:00:03.937-04:00

If you lead a small firm with half a dozen employees you're probably doing your own human resources work and recognize that you don't have people to waste, so you better get the most out of hem. If you're a leader in a large firm you probably have an HR department to worry about things for you but you still really don't have people to waste, so you should consider doing as much HR on your own as

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-47036047051653973812009-07-24T03:00:00.001-04:002009-07-26T17:01:43.871-04:00

A friend of mine was recently looking to move to a new position in his organization. He'd submitted his resume and been interviewed, and got an offer. There were a few things to arrange, including his departure from one department and their contract while moving to the new one, and all of this required some paperwork. After submitting the info, however, he got an e-mail from his new boss

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-55570719786281825242009-07-22T03:00:00.003-04:002009-07-24T00:01:47.121-04:00

If one of your Creatives is disrupting your organization by trying to introduce change based on their own special brand of ignorance about what you do and why, then you have a problem which needs to be stopped sooner rather than later. The trick here is to stop disruptive behavior without destroying the enthusiasm that underlies it. You should consider addressing it in stages, in the hope that

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-83301469000953950292009-07-20T03:00:00.005-04:002009-07-24T00:01:21.501-04:00

I have a co-worker who started in our office about a month ago as a strategic planner. The number of people who don't want to work with him grows with each passing day. he's turning people off through both his know-it-all attitude and a lack of knowledge and understanding about what we do -- frankly, that's a deadly combination. Our boss knew he had a reputation like that before he arrived,

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-67712362732390713392009-07-17T03:00:00.004-04:002009-07-17T18:30:17.312-04:00

Collaboration and consensus are important for Creatives, and as a leader, it's up to you to gather inputs and manage dissent. Both of these are important, but it's easy to either lose them, or let them get out of hand. You need a leadership approach that encourages healthy debate while allowing the creative process to move forward.Strict, hierarchical structures and authoritative systems tend

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-84398427881217020932009-07-15T03:00:00.006-04:002009-07-17T18:08:34.682-04:00

McKinsey & Company recently published two perspectives on Asia's innovation potential. There is growing concern among some in the US, fed by some recent reports, that Asia may surpass the US as an incubator of innovation.This may be true in terms of process innovation. They may be able to produce and distribute products and services more efficiently using new methods. There are a couple of

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-51811816863176132472009-07-13T03:00:00.006-04:002009-07-13T03:00:00.718-04:00

Outsourcing to free agents is common for creative firms, and more and more authors are encouraging it. Similar methods, which tend to be less expensive but carry more risk of intellectual property loss, include peering, sharing, and using ideagoras. Companies that can effectively collaborate outside their firm gain a huge advantage: they increase the creative talent available to them at little

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-19880349754179586472009-07-10T03:00:00.002-04:002009-07-10T12:01:41.021-04:00

No matter how many other changes and cost-cutting measures you implement in bad economic times, you still may reach the point where you have to reduce your workforce in order to remain a viable company. This can be a useful option if it gives you a chance to get rid of some deadwood, but unfortunately you may have to let good employees go, too. How you handle layoffs now can have an effect on

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-1759254596879259012009-07-08T03:00:00.000-04:002009-07-08T21:46:06.797-04:00

As you consider promoting employees, forget the question “what have you done for me lately?” and instead ask “what will you do for me in the future? If you avoid thinking of promotions as rewards, and instead think of them as ways to get your top Creatives into positions where they can do more, you’ll improve your firm’s effectiveness dramatically.I recently attended a friend’s military

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-23254062174894939362009-07-06T03:00:00.003-04:002009-07-06T22:01:27.699-04:00

This blog starts from the assumption that you're already leading Creatives. If you are, that's great. But it might be the case that some folks who aren't yet in leadership positions are also checking this out, looking toward the day when they will be in charge. This post is mostly for them.Leading Creatives is different from being a Creative. Even if you're the most talented stylist/designer/

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-89290062591284331062009-07-03T03:00:00.002-04:002009-07-04T00:20:51.294-04:00

There's no simple prescription for recruiting Creatives, but there's one general guideline you can use: go social.The big job boards like Monster and CareerBuilder are still in business and still provide a lot of opportunities for you to get your job requirements out there and search resumes for active job seekers who might be right for you. But, as a recent article in Business Week points out

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-63616010729704875162009-07-01T03:00:00.002-04:002009-07-01T23:43:44.994-04:00

For many years tennis star Roger Federer didn't have a coach. Then, every now and then, he does. My question was, if he's the number one player in the world, what's a coach going to do for hm? I mean, how can a coach help him if he's not better than him?OK, I admit, I was being a little dumb. While Roger may be the best player in the world, that's not to say there aren't people who are better

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-76718193715677246822009-06-29T03:00:00.003-04:002009-06-29T08:12:39.575-04:00

Now, I’ll be the first to say you shouldn’t do things just to say you’re doing them. Unfortunately, a lot of leaders that say they embrace diversity may be saying that simply because it’s what they think they’re supposed to say, without really managing diversity within their workforce in order to improve their firms. But if you understand what diversity means and how it can help you, you’ll

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-63616985435002833332009-06-26T03:00:00.001-04:002009-06-29T01:31:24.697-04:00

Things happen that catch you off guard, and you can't always control that. Too often, though, you can, you just don't. Very often we get signs that something is happening or a trend is developing, but rather than looking into how it can affect us, we ignore it. It's kind of like getting sick but refusing to go to the doctor...often, by the time you do, the problem is a lot worse than if you'd

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-33692640212641009802009-06-24T03:00:00.002-04:002009-06-24T23:09:01.569-04:00

Work's fun, sure. I mean, it's what we all live for, right??? Yep, nothing better than spending 60 hours a week in the office. But still, no matter how much you enjoy spending hours and hours and hours working, sometimes it helps to take a vacation.One of the benefits you can, and should, offer your Creatives is a good vacation policy. It helps you, because it gives them a chance to get away

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-66824397946551064012009-06-22T18:00:00.002-04:002009-07-12T23:07:42.657-04:00

There was an interesting story today on All Things Considered about the impact of "social technology" in the workplace and the differences between generations. It got me thinking, and I figured I might as well think out loud here.The story addressed people who stay in touch with such things as Twitter, Facebook, SMS, Blackberries, through blogs, etc. there was some pretty broad generalizing of

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-42406508938138424962009-06-19T03:00:00.003-04:002009-06-19T03:00:50.078-04:00

In A Whole New Mind author Daniel Pink first outlines a bit of human history. He describes the Industrial Age, in which assembly line workers were the key, and the transition to the Information Age, when knowledge workers reigned supreme. Now he sees us moving into the Conceptual Age, where Creatives will be the main ingredient for success.This, Pink argues, increases the need for right-brained

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-18808557120140304722009-06-17T03:00:00.003-04:002009-06-17T23:01:47.170-04:00

Plenty of leadership books will tell you "get out from behind your desk, don't try to lead through e-mail." But what if e-mail is what your employees prefer?Your Creatives are more likely to flourish in a healthy work environment. Communication is one important piece of that environment. Simply applying a random management technique without worrying about whether or not it's appropriate may

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-32862617900964287972009-06-15T03:00:00.000-04:002009-06-15T22:45:46.811-04:00

One of the earliest posts in this blog discussed how to think outside the box by building bigger boxes. It's nice to see the rest of the world catching up with this line of thinking.In May the Boston Consulting Group published a report titled Thinking in New Boxes: How to Bring Fundamental Change to Your Business. The authors hit on some critically important points that address the need for "

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-65455056753474483922009-06-12T03:00:00.002-04:002009-06-15T22:18:39.929-04:00

Having a sense of vision and a long-term focus for your company are important. Knowing where you're going is a good thing. Just as important is understanding where you came from. Your history guided you to your present and sets the stage for your future, so it's important for your employees to know about it.This is more important for Creatives than it is for other workers who do repetitive

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-49693732282807031712009-06-10T03:00:00.000-04:002009-06-10T03:00:18.611-04:00

Talking with someone recently, I heard him ask "wouldn't you expect your boss to be the best in the firm at what you do?"Um, no. Personally, I'd expect that I'M the best in the firm at what I do. But that says more about my ego and ambition than my boss' abilities.My real answer, though, is that I don't necessarily want a leader who's the best possible designer/stylist/copywriter/whatever.

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-87738276252888499132009-06-08T03:00:00.000-04:002009-06-08T23:36:21.891-04:00

Creatives are often very motivated people...and if they aren't, they probably aren't the ones you want working for you anyway. One problem with such highly motivated people is that they tend to work when they shouldn't, like, when they're sick. It's bad for them, and it can be bad for your business. Employees who are ill aren't going to be 100% focused on their work. That's dangerous for

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-68697574510599231492009-06-05T03:00:00.001-04:002009-06-05T03:00:18.976-04:00

My dad used to have a little sports car, an Austin Healy. I don't remember every detail about that car but I do remember a little label he had right above the ignition key: "Engage Brain Before Engaging Engine"A similar reminder would be useful above every computer screen: "Rethink Before Hitting Reply."Many of your Creatives, especially the millenials among them, have grown up with the free

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1370539034831817539.post-13422414061710612202009-06-03T03:00:00.002-04:002009-06-03T23:42:00.248-04:00

A friend of mine in Malaysia had an interesting Facebook status today:"someone wants me to hire him... and teach him everything I know... -.- why doesn't he pay me?"My friend is a designer, working in films and television and doing the sets for photo shoots. He's had a lot of work lately and needs an assistant, but this one applicant wasn't quite what he had in mind. When you're hiring new

Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16881372741688267807noreply@blogger.com0