Hey, get a room!

The way we work - does it really work? For example, we can work with whoever whenever and from any location, but should we?

All creative projects have latent inherent conflicts. Budget vs ambition, management needs vs creative needs, expected vs proposed solution, extrovert vs introvert members and so on. To what extent we succeed to handle these conflicts often correlates directly with the level of success of the whole project. Here’s my checklist:

Focus. Multitasking several projects at the same time is dead certain to waste time and kill creativity. I can see why managers want to fill schedules but creative work is best done in large chunks of uninterrupted time. Nowadays I never work in more than two or tops three projects at the same time and I always want to keep to a single project during the course of one work day.

Roles. Let’s be really clear about who does what and if anybody has the final say. But of course, let’s skip the hierarchy and never accept any suppressive attitudes. And sometimes, multiple seats per role is great - some of my best work has been in projects where myself and another ad/designer have been co-creating.

Room. Let’s not forget any project’s need for a dedicated physical space and a team home ground. A war room or at least an undisturbed wall is essential to be able to display and keep track of our work. That said, all work must not be performed in that room. I’m happy to shoot myself out and work elsewhere when I need a calm setting, fresh air or a different perspective. And of course – during the ongoing pandemic the need for new ways of working together has arisen. I am currently part of projects successfully setting up digital war rooms, for example using the online collaboration tool Miro.

Keep it local. To be honest, oversees outsourcing almost always sucks. I have seen all too many catastrophic results from projects trying to save money by using off-site production. Not necessarily because that production team was bad, but because it is almost impossible to be on the same page if you can’t meet in person. Use specialists from where ever when needed but essential production isn’t a zipped rabbit that can be pulled out from a magic hat at the end of the project.

Transparency. Let’s be open about possible conflicts and let’s not take it personal. And finally, remember:

Limitations can actually be an asset. For example, the budget vs ambition friction can be a catalyst for simple yet great ideas.