The key to managing a strong creative team involves hiring the right people for the culture of your business and empowering them. Empowering your staff creates ownership and shows them you respect them. It produces work which reflects the level of commitment your staff has to the business.
When you create a nurturing environment that respects good work and sees bad work as learning opportunities, it helps build a culture of innovation that is inclusive and inspiring. It’s important your people feel (and know) you have their backs.
Understanding that the ultimate goal is to create an efficient and profitable workplace, protect your staff from things that waste everyone’s time or create unnecessary situations. Doing this shows your employees the quality of their work environment is a priority to you.
Be aware you are being observed. The vastness of a leader’s responsibility can sometimes cause him/her to lose touch with the emotional sensitivity of employees. Realize your performance is always being judged.
And lastly, remember everything you do affects everyone on your team. Your bad day can ruin their good day. Your goofy dance can break them out of a creative slump. We’re all human. We’re all friends. Remember this and you’ll always have success.
This blog first appeared on Creative Courage with Alex Raffi. Alex is a business owner, creative director, author, illustrator and public speaker. His Creative Courage workshop is about the process of problem solving. Connect with Alex.