7 Best Practices for Managing Creative Teams
- Adilla
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
People management is already tricky, but managing a creative team? That’s when a bit of manoeuvring and flexibility is needed without disturbing the creative flow of your creative team. So, what is the best way to manage them?
Table Of Contents
Why Is It Different from Managing Non-Creatives?
Creatives need a balance between structure and freedom. Too much rigidness could affect their creative flow; too much freedom could affect clients’ expectations, especially when they want fast results. Creative leaders need to understand that creatives don’t work well with traditional management.
7 Best Practices for Managing Creatives
1. Understand The Creative Process
The key is to show real interest and ask open-ended questions, not asking people to do tasks you think they can do. Rather, by understanding the creative process of your team, you’ll get to understand what drives their creativity and what keeps them motivated. Creative minds work better in an environment where they feel valued and understood.
2. Lead, Don’t Micromanage
When creative managers control their teams too much, it signals a lack of trust. This could lead their creatives to disengage and lack the motivation to perform well in their work. Rather than making the decisions for your team, encourage them to make one and take risks that could boost their ideas to be competitive and innovative.
3. Provide Resources and Guidance from the Back Seat
Encourage your team to try and give assurance that it’s okay to make mistakes. This will be an opportunity for your team to learn as they go about their tasks. If you’re worried too much, they might make too many mistakes during the process. Therefore, provide the resources to ensure they are well-informed.
4. Encourage Collaboration and Communication
An environment where team members support and inspire each other could lead to collaboration that can produce innovative solutions. It’s important to establish open communication among a creative team to prevent any misunderstandings or accidentally create a toxic environment from miscommunication.
1. Constructive Conflict Resolution
Whether we like it or not, in a team full of creative people, disagreements are bound to happen. When it does, show that there is a healthy and productive way to deal with disagreements. Plus, if dealt with properly, a bit of discourse can build innovative ideas while still being respectful and empathetic.
2. Prioritise Time Off
Creative burnout is a dangerous territory. Once your creative teams are in it, it's hard to get out, so prioritise rest time. If your fear is a delay in work when your team is gone, add buffers in between deadlines or between your teams who can take over.
3. Schedule Regular Meetings to Manage Capacity
Have check-in meetings with your teams to know how they are faring with their workload, whether they are overburdened or underutilised in the project. Find a timing that works best with your project’s pace without disturbing their workflow.
Conclusion
While managing creative teams can be tough, it is not impossible. By implementing these practices, you will prevent your team from feeling underappreciated or overburdened.
However, if the current management style isn’t a good fit for your team, creative project management might be something you should try out!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
I am a non-creative manager, but I manage a creative team. Is it still possible for me to manage them?
Yes, it is possible, albeit challenging. There are key things you should keep in mind when managing creatives with a non-creative background. Be ready to have open communication and learn in-depth about creative processes. When providing feedback, guide them without restricting their ideas. Also, provide the space for them to explore their ideas while still leading them to the main objectives.
Are there tools to better manage creatives?
Our TESSR tool is created with creatives in mind. Our customisable features in each of our modules are made flexible for different creative projects.
Book a demo with us to learn more about it. And, hey! We're free forever.
I’m a creative freelancer. Is it possible for me to build my own creative team?
It is possible! Building a creative team is not as hard as you think. Find fellow creative individuals who share a similar goal with you, and you've got yourself a team.
Author Bio
With a background in Arts English, Adilla has been a casual writer for various hobbies like parodies of animated shows and plots for board games. She loves to read anything and everything from fantasy stories to articles on tips and tricks. Now an advocate for mental health and effective project management for the creative industry. Currently, Adilla resides in Malaysia and is a creative writer at TESSR. To know more about her, check out her LinkedIn.
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