Managing Creatives

As a manager, I’ve faced many challenges, successes, and let’s just say a few “near misses.” Through experience and management training, I’ve learned different ways to confront a variety of situations and personality types. Additionally, I’ve learned that working with creative teams is extremely rewarding but can also present unique challenges. Motivations and goals are often different for those in creative roles than for those in corporate positions, but we all need to come together to deliver results. Keeping these differences in mind, it’s vitally important to work cross-functionally to strike a balance between producing best-in-class creative while also being thoughtful and engaged corporate partners. Finding that balance takes patience, understanding, honesty, and good communication. The manager’s best tool is always an open door because, after all, to be a good leader, you need to be a GREAT listener.