Let’s set the scene for an all-too common exchange:
It’s 6 pm on a Friday. The second shift is already half complete and you’re trying to get home for your kid’s birthday party.
Your Architect: “You simply cannot ship with that firmware load. It’s missing a key feature that we will need to do (obscure use case)…”
You: “Sue, we met as a team, reviewed the roadmap and came to an agreement with sales, the field integration team, production, and planning. We all agreed that this was the right move…”
Your Architect: “Yes I know, but it’s just not right….”
You then proceed to have another 45 minutes of circular debate (getting you home just in time to see your son blow out his candles).
White hot creatives like Sue are present in every firm I have ever consulted with, or been a part of. Sometimes they are the clarion voice of truth that saves the firm from a major misstep and delivers the key piece of insight that wins the client. Other times, however, they lose their perspective and start pushing for perfection when it’s time to lock it down and ship.
The challenge is that many times when you’re on the front end of the discussion, you can’t foresee if your creative is chasing a bright shiny object or helping to save you from a major calamity. The bottom line? Engagement is not optional.
So, how do we lead our best creatives?
For many team leaders, it’s a really tough call.
I have had passionate technical architects carry the ball on the firm’s behalf higher and farther than anyone could have ever expected. They come in early, work late, and stay on task tirelessly to make certain that the right thing gets in the right place at the right time – adding millions to the bottom line.
Then, in a meeting, that same valuable subject matter expert turns to a new engineer and hands them their head in a box in front of the whole team. You know at that moment you’ve got not only a technical issue, but a lot of broken glass. Your afternoon is now going to be spent resetting expectations of meeting conduct, working with the new hire to assure them that this was not a career-defining event and having a chat with HR to be sure neither of them does anything rash.
Coaching Points
What do you do with this at 6 pm on a Friday ?
- Don’t match passion with aggression. Losing your own temper and responding out of emotion will actually make things worse (don’t ask how I know this).
- Do be direct and authentic. Let your creative know that you have two jobs – the first is to keep the railroad running and provide stability (which they enjoy in their direct deposit twice a month). The second is to make the call when risk exceeds reward.
- Do engage them on ideas and concepts. Many times your passionate creative is looking to refine their ideas, not run you over with them (even though it feels like a bull rush at the time). Their method of getting feedback is to argue – sometimes very assertively. This kind of banter is very valuable and is an investment in the firm.
- Do respect them and always expect the same. No one gets to throw sand in the sandbox. Our kindergarten teacher was right – it’s ok to argue like family, as long as we make up and know we are part of a larger picture.
Getting this wrong is time-consuming and expensive. I’ve been called in on cases that escalated so far that great talent left. This was directly due to the leader losing her perspective on the stability – challenge mix.
Complete Growth Leaders
Becoming a growth leader is a very significant step on the leadership journey. Gaining the insight, poise, and experience to lead high-performance teams is hard, but very rewarding work. In the program, we talk about the 4 key capacities that are needed for an effective team, as well as their strengths and weaknesses (including the “white hot” creative).
If you’d like to learn more about our Compete Growth Leader system and training, please give me a call at 847-651-1014 or use this link to set up time for a short discussion.
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