The tradition: The Greeks did not build their theaters and temples through pure teamwork; someone was in charge. The Sistine Chapel, the Pyramids, every great architectural endeavor was built by workers who followed a visionary, a manager, one who kept his eye on the entire enterprise and (either directly or indirectly) managed the details. Centuries later this model has not appreciably changed. It remains the job description for the architect, the theater and film director, the orchestra conductor, the animation director, the executive producer in television, the record producer, the Webmaster, the headmaster of an innovative educational institution.
Tim Burton commented: “To be a director, you can’t have any fear. At best, you probably have to have a very healthy balance of not being an egomaniac, but with enough security in yourself to just go for it.”
What makes a creative leader?
1. A thorough understanding of the market, the project, the production process, the available resources, and the capabilities of the available people.
2. A relatively clear vision of the end product.
3. Some reasonable means for planning the steps between concept and completion, and for the required actions.
4. Some degree of either attention to detail or a strong talent for delegation.
5. A quick mind that can size up current progress, and make in-course changes.
6. Good relationships, all around.
Dag Hammarskjold, one of the United Nations’s more creative, inspiring leaders, said of a colleague “He broke fresh ground—because and only because, he had the courage to go ahead without asking whether others were following or even understood. He had no need for the divided responsibility in which others seek to be safe from ridicule, because he had been granted a faith which required no confirmation—a contact with reality, light and intense like the touch of a loved hand: a union in self-surrender without self-destruction where his heart was lucid and his mind was loving.”
The really good parts about leading a team:
1. Leading a successful creative enterprise is an incredible high. It just feels great.
2. In many parts of the creative world, you’ll get paid well for doing the leadership job effectively—and you’ll be asked to do it again and again.
3. Your stature within the business will grow, so your project range will become more varied, more interesting, and ultimately, you will have more control over your career.
4. Other cool people will want to work with you.
The good parts about leading a team:
1. You get to train the next generation of talented people, to have some positive impact on other people’s lives.
2. You get to do the right projects in the right way, which makes everyone on the team feel wonderful.
3. You can handpick the people with whom you work closely.
4. You make most of the big decisions.
5. You gain enormous self-confidence.
The bad parts about leading a team:
1. Everything becomes your problem.
2. If you make a bad choice, you can cause an avalanche.
3. It’s lonely; there aren’t many people (in or out of the business) who understand what you do.
4. If you mess up more than once, it’s tough to find work further down the ladder.
5. You can do everything right, and the audience could still hate the end product.
The really bad parts about leading a team:
1. You have the power to screw up people’s minds and careers, sometimes without realizing that you said or did anything at all.
2. You can become a target for crazy people.
3. You can become a target for lawsuits or other nasty stuff.
4. You might not be anywhere as good as you believe yourself to be. That’s a devastating lesson to learn.
5. You might lose your friends, your family, or your self-respect while on the way to the top, or while trying to remain there. You might find success, but lose your way.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Working as Part of a Team
The tradition: The circus, the commedia dell’arte, and the performances of Shakespeare’s plays at the old Globe Theater date back several hundred years. Teams were led by a director, or the equivalent of a director. Theater carried on the tradition, which informed early motion pictures, radio and then television, advertising agencies and Web development shops with similar ways of working. From the start, some aspects of the process were more team oriented than others. Some tasks were always solo acts and always will be. Others require the entire company on stage.
You’re part of the team, but you are hired with specific responsibility for costumes. You’re the music director, but you also play an important role in shaping the entire creative presentation. You’re the writer on this campaign, but the client is looking to you personally to provide the appropriate attitude. Junior people may not be assigned specific roles. More experienced hands train the young ones. It’s always been that way; it’s how we pass on the tradition.
The really good parts about working as part of a team:
1. If it doesn’t work, it’s nobody’s fault (and everybody’s fault, but that never matters).
2. If it works, you’re a hero, and you get to share the joy with a lot of other like-minded people. (This is team sports for creative people.)
3. On a really fine team, the work is shared, and the result is far greater than any one could have done on their own.
The good parts about working as part of a team:
1. You really are a part of something greater than yourself.
2. You learn a lot about working with other people, and how you fit in.
3. You figure out some interesting things about yourself (“Why am I always the first person to speak up?” or “Why don’t I ever speak up?”).
4. You learn some interesting things about other people (“I never realized she was so critical”; “I never thought of him as a natural leader”).
5. You learn soft and hard lessons from other team members. Team members take the time to nurture one another’s skills and contributions. When it works, this is just wonderful.
The bad parts about working as part of a team:
1. You might end up on a lousy team.
2. You might not fit into the team, regardless of its quality.
3. You might screw things up for the team (on a really good team, everybody covers, so this isn’t much of a problem—unless, of course, you screw up more than once).
4. Regardless of how much you contribute, you will never get the credit. For some people, this is a big issue. For others, it’s a nice break, and for others, it’s a far more comfortable way to work.
The really bad parts about working as part of a team:
None, really. There isn’t much personal risk when you’re part of a team.
You’re part of the team, but you are hired with specific responsibility for costumes. You’re the music director, but you also play an important role in shaping the entire creative presentation. You’re the writer on this campaign, but the client is looking to you personally to provide the appropriate attitude. Junior people may not be assigned specific roles. More experienced hands train the young ones. It’s always been that way; it’s how we pass on the tradition.
The really good parts about working as part of a team:
1. If it doesn’t work, it’s nobody’s fault (and everybody’s fault, but that never matters).
2. If it works, you’re a hero, and you get to share the joy with a lot of other like-minded people. (This is team sports for creative people.)
3. On a really fine team, the work is shared, and the result is far greater than any one could have done on their own.
The good parts about working as part of a team:
1. You really are a part of something greater than yourself.
2. You learn a lot about working with other people, and how you fit in.
3. You figure out some interesting things about yourself (“Why am I always the first person to speak up?” or “Why don’t I ever speak up?”).
4. You learn some interesting things about other people (“I never realized she was so critical”; “I never thought of him as a natural leader”).
5. You learn soft and hard lessons from other team members. Team members take the time to nurture one another’s skills and contributions. When it works, this is just wonderful.
The bad parts about working as part of a team:
1. You might end up on a lousy team.
2. You might not fit into the team, regardless of its quality.
3. You might screw things up for the team (on a really good team, everybody covers, so this isn’t much of a problem—unless, of course, you screw up more than once).
4. Regardless of how much you contribute, you will never get the credit. For some people, this is a big issue. For others, it’s a nice break, and for others, it’s a far more comfortable way to work.
The really bad parts about working as part of a team:
None, really. There isn’t much personal risk when you’re part of a team.
Working with a Partner or Collaborator
The tradition: Mostly, a twentieth century phenomenon, unusual before the days of songwriting (one lyricist, one composer); performance (a duo), advertising (one writer, one designer). Comic acts were often collaborations (e.g., Laurel & Hardy; Abbott & Costello; the Marx Brothers), but these are less common today. Pairings are made for movies, but the performers don’t otherwise work together: Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith in the Men in Black films, for example. Collaboration was perfected for songwriting (Gilbert & Sullivan; Lennon & McCartney); Broadway (Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe), but creative/business partnerships are common in all media, including television (Klasky-Csupo; Carsey-Werner-Mandabach); and motion pictures (Coen brothers, Farrelly brothers).
Comedy and music groups sometimes become a collaborative unit and work together for a long time. Examples include the Monty Python performers, and many rock bands, from the Beach Boys and the Grateful Dead to Phish and Radiohead.
More often, in today’s world, collaborators come together for specific projects or groups of projects, but also work on their own. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze collaborated on Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. These were specific, short-term projects in the midst of careers that also involved other types of projects with other creative people. Kaufman also wrote for television and other movies, and Jonze directed music videos and other motion pictures. Jazz musicians have played on one another’s recordings for decades; the practice keeps the musicians sharp and the music fresh.
Collaborators may deeply affect one another’s work, even if they don’t work together directly, as Howard Gardner explains: “In a word, Picasso and Braque invented cubism… For many months, the two men were virtually inseparable. They painted during the day and then, at night, came together and studied each others works. At times, their works were so similar that only an expert can tell them apart…The two men appreciated one another’s company; they jokingly referred to themselves as ‘Orville and Wilbur Wright.’”
The really good parts about working with a partner or collaborator:
The best collaborations turn out far better work than either partner could or would contribute on his or her own. If the work is good, then the team gets the credit, and because the team is small, the credit and gratification can be huge.
The good parts about working with a partner or collaborator:
1. You’re not alone. Somebody is there to encourage, cajole, criticize, stroke and make it happen alongside you.
2. When one of you is down, the other may be up. That allows you to work more productively and to neutralize the inevitable depressing moments that accompany any creative adventure.
3. It’s fun. A lot of fun when it’s going well. Far more fun than working alone.
The bad parts about working with a partner or collaborator:
1. You’re going to share the money. Teams are not often paid as two people, but instead as an expanded version of one.
2. You’re reliant on another person to do the work. Nobody’s perfect. Some people are difficult, unreliable, crazy, out of step, erratic or simply unsuitable partners. Finding a good fit can be challenging.
3. Both parties must be committed to the marriage. If the commitment is out of balance, then problems can pile up quickly—and these problems may directly affect the work.
The really bad parts about working with a partner or collaborator:
1. In today’s world, the partnership or collaboration ought to be defined in a legal agreement. That means roughly that a business negotiation must occur before the creative work can begin. There’s no better way to ruin a beautiful relationship than to start out by discussing what happens when things don’t work out.
2. Few partnerships last forever. When things don’t work out, the hurt can be long-lasting.
Comedy and music groups sometimes become a collaborative unit and work together for a long time. Examples include the Monty Python performers, and many rock bands, from the Beach Boys and the Grateful Dead to Phish and Radiohead.
More often, in today’s world, collaborators come together for specific projects or groups of projects, but also work on their own. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and director Spike Jonze collaborated on Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. These were specific, short-term projects in the midst of careers that also involved other types of projects with other creative people. Kaufman also wrote for television and other movies, and Jonze directed music videos and other motion pictures. Jazz musicians have played on one another’s recordings for decades; the practice keeps the musicians sharp and the music fresh.
Collaborators may deeply affect one another’s work, even if they don’t work together directly, as Howard Gardner explains: “In a word, Picasso and Braque invented cubism… For many months, the two men were virtually inseparable. They painted during the day and then, at night, came together and studied each others works. At times, their works were so similar that only an expert can tell them apart…The two men appreciated one another’s company; they jokingly referred to themselves as ‘Orville and Wilbur Wright.’”
The really good parts about working with a partner or collaborator:
The best collaborations turn out far better work than either partner could or would contribute on his or her own. If the work is good, then the team gets the credit, and because the team is small, the credit and gratification can be huge.
The good parts about working with a partner or collaborator:
1. You’re not alone. Somebody is there to encourage, cajole, criticize, stroke and make it happen alongside you.
2. When one of you is down, the other may be up. That allows you to work more productively and to neutralize the inevitable depressing moments that accompany any creative adventure.
3. It’s fun. A lot of fun when it’s going well. Far more fun than working alone.
The bad parts about working with a partner or collaborator:
1. You’re going to share the money. Teams are not often paid as two people, but instead as an expanded version of one.
2. You’re reliant on another person to do the work. Nobody’s perfect. Some people are difficult, unreliable, crazy, out of step, erratic or simply unsuitable partners. Finding a good fit can be challenging.
3. Both parties must be committed to the marriage. If the commitment is out of balance, then problems can pile up quickly—and these problems may directly affect the work.
The really bad parts about working with a partner or collaborator:
1. In today’s world, the partnership or collaboration ought to be defined in a legal agreement. That means roughly that a business negotiation must occur before the creative work can begin. There’s no better way to ruin a beautiful relationship than to start out by discussing what happens when things don’t work out.
2. Few partnerships last forever. When things don’t work out, the hurt can be long-lasting.
Working Alone
The tradition: Authors, illustrators, playwrights and other creative thinkers require time in their own heads, truly creating something from nothing. This tradition is at least a thousand years old, and remains a viable option for those who work outside the traditional business community. This style has also been adopted by an Internet-enabled workforce of writers, researchers, market planners and others who decide to work alone for personal or family pleasure, to eliminate a commute, or because it’s simply easier to work on their own.
The classic Thoreau quote still rings true: “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away.”
The really good parts of working alone:
1. If the creative work is great, you get lots of credit (external gratification).
2. If the creative work is great, you know that you made it happen (internal gratification).
The good parts of working alone:
1. There’s nobody to bother you, or tell you what to door how to do it.
2. You get work done faster because there are fewer distractions.
3. You get work done your way, because your way is best, most efficient or otherwise superior.
4. You set your own working hours. As long as you meet the deadline, your time is your own.
The bad parts about working alone:
1. It can be lonely.
2. Your ideas don’t benefit from cross-fertilization by others.
3. You can become overprotective of your ideas because they are purely your creations.
4. Potential clients and employers may forget about you.
5. You may always be perceived as an individual contributor, not a team player.
The really bad parts about working alone:
1. You’re not creating and nurturing new business relationships. In time, this reality will decrease your workflow and cause you to either accept lesser work or to figure out how to fit back into the normal working world (the more time alone, the more difficult this can become).
2. You can develop really bad habits in terms of working hours, and spend too much time alone in your own head.
3. If your computer crashes at 3 A.M., you’ll have to fix it yourself.
The classic Thoreau quote still rings true: “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away.”
The really good parts of working alone:
1. If the creative work is great, you get lots of credit (external gratification).
2. If the creative work is great, you know that you made it happen (internal gratification).
The good parts of working alone:
1. There’s nobody to bother you, or tell you what to door how to do it.
2. You get work done faster because there are fewer distractions.
3. You get work done your way, because your way is best, most efficient or otherwise superior.
4. You set your own working hours. As long as you meet the deadline, your time is your own.
The bad parts about working alone:
1. It can be lonely.
2. Your ideas don’t benefit from cross-fertilization by others.
3. You can become overprotective of your ideas because they are purely your creations.
4. Potential clients and employers may forget about you.
5. You may always be perceived as an individual contributor, not a team player.
The really bad parts about working alone:
1. You’re not creating and nurturing new business relationships. In time, this reality will decrease your workflow and cause you to either accept lesser work or to figure out how to fit back into the normal working world (the more time alone, the more difficult this can become).
2. You can develop really bad habits in terms of working hours, and spend too much time alone in your own head.
3. If your computer crashes at 3 A.M., you’ll have to fix it yourself.
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