Our VOLTAGE creative team works hard for us, and, as project managers and directors, we try to do the same for them through communication, trust, empowerment and collaboration. We constantly work on ways to support the team as they learn and grow. Here we’ve shared some of our most effective methods.

Behold, our six tips for managing creatives!

1. Considerable and consistent communication

Focus creative power and blow expectations out of the water with agile, effective and clear communication. Learning your creative’s communication style is key – everyone communicates and understands differently. Meet your team where they are and build a communication system that works for everyone.

These open channels of communication work both ways. Team members should be encouraged to explain their creative thought processes. Understanding this process helps improve communication by leaps and bounds.

Maximize your effectiveness by testing your communication with varying feedback styles and amounts.

2. A great pilot keeps a project on course

A great pilot helps navigate a project, and getting to know your team’s strengths and weaknesses can help you steer projects in the right direction.

Have a plan to develop a well-rounded skillset within your team. A plan looks like this:

1. Assign a team member to a killer project that challenges their abilities.
2. Encourage another team member equipped with the skills already to help guide the work.
3. Review and continue practicing these new-found skills for a developed, well-rounded team.

4. Total team trust

Delegation can be stressful. We get that. Trust that your team possesses the necessary skills to get the job done. Placing confidence in your team and seeing a great outcome fosters trust in your team members.

5. Clumps of creative capacity

Agile creatives always bring their A-game to the table, but idea generation takes practice, not magic. Give your team the opportunity to flex their creative muscles and unleash their imagination with some of these exercises:

• Express an image by finding a song to match
• Make a digital designer use pencil and paper
• Act out a storyboard – even if it doesn’t involve people
• Create a mood board for a made-up idea

Additionally, try hosting a Creative Day. VOLTAGE holds Creative Generation Days in which we give a creative team some prompts and a few hours to craft weird, cool and kooky content. See past results here: Creative Days.

6. Colossal collaboration

Take advantage of the collaborative nature of your team. Encourage members to ask questions, give advice, and provide feedback to each other. The more eyes on a project the more solutions to you’ll find.=

All management styles considered, the key to great creative management involves:

• Five star communication
• A+ project assignment
• Confidence in your team
• Fulfillment of individual creativity
• Good old-fashioned teamwork

For more creative management advice or information call 303-664-1687 or email us at info@voltagead.com.