Unlocking Creative Potential

Bridging the Gap Between Managers and Creatives

Client Profile: Name: Alex Martinez and Lee Williams *

Company: WebPro

Industry: Web Design

*names, roles, industries changed to protect privacy and commercial sensitivity

Challenge: Alex Martinez was a talented and creative designer at WebPro, a leading web design company. His new manager, Lee Williams, came from a more traditional background. She struggled to understand Alex's creative process and unconventional approach to work. Lee was not creative by her own admission, but she didn't see that was an obstacle. She saw her role was to manage people who were creative, not be creative herself.

This disconnect led to frustration on both sides. Lee felt that Alex was unproductive and lacked structure. Alex felt his creativity was being stifled by Lee's rigid management style. He felt he was being micromanaged, and worse, that the contributions he made weren't valued. He did complete work that was often above and beyond his brief because he saw it as “stretch goals”.

Intervention: They needed to find a communication bridge between their contrasting perspectives. Lee felt she should “fight fire with fire” and sought the help of a creativity coach. The coach had two goals. The first was to help Lee better understand and enhance Alex's creative mindset. The second was to provide Alex with effective tools to communicate his ideas.

Implementation: The coach introduced several strategies to build a more harmonious working relationship:

1. Creative Thinking Workshops: Alex and Lee attended joint workshops to explore different creative thinking techniques. The workshop covered techniques such as brainstorming, mind mapping, and design thinking. The coach had Alex show how his design process worked. Lee could see it wasn't haphazard, and there was a role in the process for her.
2. Flexible Workstyles: The coach helped Lee understand the value of giving Alex a flexible work environment. It allowed him to work during his most productive hours and in spaces conducive to creative flow. Sometimes he'd worked late into the night, mornings were overwhelming. Lee felt Alex was like an irresponsible student, but she saw when the creative juices start to flow, don't stop them.
3. Storytelling and Visualisation: In the workshops, Alex presented his ideas using engaging storytelling and visual aids. This helped Lee better grasp the concepts behind his creative work. Lee realised she could use the visuals to help Alex stay on track.
4. Checkpoint Meetings: They established regular checkpoint meetings. They provided Alex with opportunities to share his progress. He could receive constructive feedback from Lee in a supportive environment. They made the meetings productive, and an opportunity for medium tea. They didn't have time for high tea, but they wanted something more than a mug of tea. Medium tea.

Results: By taking a creative and collaborative approach, they both experienced significant benefits:

• Improved Communication: The effective storytelling and visualisation techniques enabled Alex to convey his creative vision. This built better understanding between him and Lee.
• Increased Productivity: The flexible workstyles allowed Alex to work at his peak creative capacity. This resulted in consistent, higher quality output with deadlines met.
• Enhanced Teamwork: The creative thinking workshops helped Lee and Alex find common ground. This grew into a more cohesive and effective working relationship.

Looking Ahead: Alex and Lee formed a newfound appreciation for each other's strengths. With their now shared creative language, Alex and Lee become a dynamic team. They're driving innovation and setting good practice examples for the company. Managers and creatives can thrive together.

Ready to bridge the gap between management and creativity in your organisation? Explore how creativity coaching can unlock the full potential of your teams.