The 7 “Ates” for Managing Creative Teams

INTRODUCTION

Across my career in video content, I’ve had the privilege of building and managing many teams of creative talent. This has included amazing editors, writers, motion graphics artists, composers and sound designers; as well as the producers, project managers, supervisors, coordinators, engineers and technicians who support and enable them.

And throughout my career, I’ve come across countless postings that try to capture the essential qualities of good management. So let me add my two cents. While I’m not the first person to use this device, and it’s likely that business school courses or management books dive into this more artfully, I propose that there are 7 essential “ates” to guide managers in supporting their staffs.

1. COMMUNICATE

Everything starts with good communication. Despite – or maybe because of – all the communication tools in the workplace (Slack, Zoom, texts, emails, etc.), it’s challenging to know that everyone on the team has the same and the correct information. It’s the manager’s responsibility to filter out misinformation or old information and ensure that team members are operating with shared data points, creative briefs and anything else that may inform and impact their work. Short daily scrums or check-ins are one of the best ways to make sure everyone is operating with the same set of facts.

2. FACILITATE

Once team members have the right information, they need the right tools and assets to achieve their goals. This starts with the hardware and software that creatives rely on, as well as the tracking, reviewing and approval apps the team will refer to repeatedly. It includes making sure that the video, audio and graphic assets are properly formatted and well organized. And it also means listening and responding to team members when they have recommendations for new tools or products. Video production and post-production are iterative processes, and it’s a mistake to believe that the tools a team will use are ever static.

3. INCUBATE

No manager should believe that he or she has all the answers. Particularly in the corporate world, with its emphasis on repeatability and scalability, team members are critical in figuring out the most efficient way to accomplish goals and produce the best results. An environment in which team members are encouraged to build and refine a process will serve three goals. First, it ensures that all aspects of a video project – from editing and graphics to mixing, coloring and localizing – are taken into consideration and accounted for in the workflow. Additionally, it sets the foundation for creative collaboration, which is discussed below. And long-term, it gives team members a chance to see beyond the boundaries of their own responsibility, creating opportunities for career advancement.

4. INSULATE

Creative team members don’t need to be sheltered from co-workers in other departments… except when they do. There are occasionally situations where an editor needs approval from a c-level executive, or a coordinator has to finalize schedules with a director, in which there is a clear power imbalance. This imbalance may make it hard, if not impossible, for the creative team to be heard, acknowledged or respected. Beyond the challenges of these imbalances, a manager understands that an editor’s time is best spent editing, not chasing down approvals. Insulating a creative team helps keep each team member on track, while also filtering out distractions, peripheral issues or other matters that can disrupt workflow and timelines.

5. COLLABORATE

The best work rarely happens in a vacuum. One of the core purposes behind incubating and insulating a creative team is to encourage collaboration. In today’s remote and hybrid work environments, collaboration among creative individuals doesn’t always come easily or naturally, making it even more important for a manager to find innovative strategies - online showcases, manager-free scrums, OG happy hours - that encourage team members to share with one another. An editor, motion graphics artist and sound designer who regularly interact, discuss ideas and offering suggestions to one another will almost always deliver more creative results than all three working in silos.

6. EDUCATE

Creative projects are often opportunities to try new processes or approaches. Sometimes these may force team members to learn new skills. Encouraging and supporting attendance at conferences, workshops or online learning are some of the simple ways that managers can help expand team members’ education. A manager should also be aware of his or her role in mentoring the next generation of leaders. Beyond the hard skills of editing, writing, designing, etc., there are soft skills such as listening, decision-making and problem-solving that are critical to one’s success as a manager. Managers who aren’t investing some of their energy in developing these soft skills in their team members are failing at their job.

7. MOTIVATE

Creative team members often work in a bubble, rarely getting feedback from other departments about the quality or success of their work. And the simple reality is that work, even creative work, is sometimes just a grind. To counter this, motivation is essential. A manager can provide context and perspective, make sure that feedback gets to the right people, and help the team see the positive impact their work has on colleagues, other departments and consumers. More broadly, encouraging individuals to push boundaries and providing a vision for how the team can advance are among the simple and honest motivational steps to help make work fulfilling.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, these 7 “ates” are essentially about respecting and empowering a team; giving them the tools, the information and the means to do their best work; and helping them grow as both creative talent and as employees in a larger organization.

There are undoubtedly more “ates” out there. Please feel free to share if I’ve missed any of your favorites, or if you feel any of these “ates” miss the mark. Managers, like their team members, always have more to learn. So, let’s talk. Please check out my website – marcbrownconsulting.com – and reach out to me at marc@marcbrownconsulting.com.