Managing Creatives Preview
by Bennett Holzworth, (0 comments)
David C. Baker forwarded this excerpt from an article that he wrote that relates to his session, Managing Creatives. There are some great tips in the excerpt below. Enjoy.
An Environment Where Employees Want to Be
by David C. Baker
THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH EMPLOYEES THRIVE. WE BEGIN BY NOTING WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT, AND THEN EXPLAINING HOW YOUR ROLE AS A ÄúDIRECTORÄù FITS INTO MANAGEMENT AT THE FIRM OVERALL. AGAINST THE GRAYNESS OF MANAGEMENT, BLACK AND WHITE DECISIONS MUST BE MADE, AND THAT'S YOUR ROLE. IF YOU AREN'T MANAGING, OR IF YOU JUST AREN'T SUITED FOR IT, THE EVIDENCE WILL BE ALL OVER YOUR FIRM. BASED ON MORE THAN 3,000 SURVEYS AND FOLLOW-UP INTERVIEWS, THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES MORE THAN 75 SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WHAT EMPLOYEES APPRECIATE IN THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT, ORGANIZED INTO CATEGORIES: HIRING, INTEGRATION, STRUCTURE, PERFORMANCE, WORKLOAD, ENVIRONMENT, PERSONAL, SUPPORT, COMMUNICATIONS, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, EXTERNAL RESPECT, AND EXITING.
There are three things you can never delegate at your firm, no matter how large it grows. The first is Mapping the firm's direction from a positioning standpoint (see the January and February 2000 issues). The second is high level Convincing in a sales context. The third is Directing internal business decisions so that the environment complements what you believe about people, things, money, etc. This issue of Persuading deals with the third element: creating an appropriate management environment. This should happen just because it's the right thing to do, though there are also benefits to go along with it.
The Benefits of Employees Who are Content
The context of this discussion is creating an environment where employees want to work, which will obviously have far reaching implications. First, as prospective employees hear about your environment, they'll be favorably swayed to join you. Second, once they do join, they'll be more likely to stay. Third, they'll consistently do better work for your clients because valuable mental energy is not being used on protecting their own interests. Fourth, you'll sleep better at night (especially through the tough times) knowing you are doing the right thing.
Your Role as Director
DirectingÄîwhich is our term for creating the management environmentÄîcan not be delegated simply because it is an extension of who you are. The business you run is a direct reflection of you (that can be a terrifying or invigorating concept). Of course you can delegate certain functions of employee management (like tracking vacation days), but everyone will follow your lead in how employees are valuedĶand thus how they are treated. This will happen in spite of any layer you might place between yourself and employees. Layers will not effectively insulate you from Directing the management environment, since all employees will look beyond the layer to you, the tone-setter.
The Grayness of Management
Managing people is the most personally painful thing you do. Sure, establishing systems is perplexing, but the implications of failure are more mental and financial, not personal or ethical. The management environment, though, is a complex task always out of reach. And worst of all, it seldom moves from gray into black and white. It's hard to know that you've done the right thing, and doing the right thing is a deeper concern in this arena than your other areas of responsibility. Or at least it should be. We make time for the things we enjoy. We defer the things we don't. For most principals, managing people fits into the latter category. We make time for the things we enjoy. We enjoy the things we are good at. This is true of sports, vocation, and management ability. But unfortunately, choosing to grow is an unwitting (and often unfulfilled) commitment to managing more and doing less. This issue is about creating an environment where employees want to work, one small facet of management responsibility. . .
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