| Creative Follow-Through
Between the fun and energy of coming up with a great idea and the satisfaction of seeing it completed is a cavernous gap called follow-through. Creative professionals spend most of their time in the gap. The gap isn't the fun part. It's the necessary part--and the one that separates the pros from the wanna-bes.
The same free-flowing nature that makes creative professionals great at coming up with ideas also tends to be accompanied by a lack of follow-through. We design and dream these amazing, animated, multicolored solution balls--and then promptly drop them. Great follow-through is what makes a creative team a powerful resource for the organization.
Over-plan. How you conduct your work is as important as the work itself--this is something that creative professionals often miss. For many years I personally felt that as long as the finished project was great, it really didn't matter how I got there--the work would speak for it self. Unfortunately, I did not realize that the process spoke for itself as well. Creative work must have some kind of plan. Constant late-night scramble sessions and last-minute changes make others nervous and erode trust.
When planning your work, ask yourself, is it realistic to complete this in the given timeframe? What am I to be responsible for, and what are others to do? Taking a few minutes to plan your attack on a creative project, allowing time to work on each task through completion. And be sure to build in some "fudge factor" for changes. If your process is "do an all-nighter on Friday and get it done," that is not a plan. That's an act of desperation.
Over-deliver. A creative project resulting that is less than what is promised is a morale killer. This is often the case, when creative professionals' natural enthusiasm for their work raises expectations unrealistically. You've probably heard the phrase "under-promise and over-deliver." It's a great way to work in the creative realm. Guarantee what you know you can do, and then give a little more. It's fine to build enthusiasm for a project, but keep it in check. Save something extra for unveiling. A creative professional is often in charge of the "wow" factor of a project--make sure you have one.
Over-communicate. It's nearly impossible for you as a creative professional to communicate too much. There is the temptation among many creative pros to "lock yourself in a room" until the job is done. It's always a good idea to give leaders and peers progress reports--when you are starting, how much you've completed, when you think you'll have the final job done.
Communication is especially appreciated on issues such as deadlines and cost. If you are running late on a project, or over budget, tell someone as soon as you find out. It will save you much grief later on. Frustration on the part of leadership with their creative staff is nearly always in the area of communication.
Over-explain. How did you arrive at your creative idea or solution? Think it through yourself and be ready to explain your thinking to others. This is part of communication--but it is more than that. Not only do you need to be able to communication your progress or tangible issues, but also the thought process of the job itself. Why this particular concept, and how does it positively impact the core goal of the project?
Creative pros can sometimes get "high concept," where the metaphor used or the creative idea itself doesn't seem to make sense. If your leadership doesn't "get it," why believe that everyone else will? Talk them through it. Give them an understanding of how you arrived at the solution, and let them ask questions. Even be open to changing the concept if it is too esoteric. The best creative concepts are the simple ones. If you've got a tough concept, you have to be ready to explain it.
Over-my-dead-body. While "overdoing it" in these areas will help with follow-through, never sacrifice a principle in order to deliver a finished project. Don't understate your budget needs to get approval and then spend more later on. Don't underestimate the time it will take knowing it will require hours of overtime. Never plagiarize someone else's ideas in order to get your own creative effort going. Don't gloss over a mistake or minimize about a problem in order to save face.
Remember that your personal character is more than the finished project. It is the backbone of artistic work. Set a higher standard in the way you work, and you will not only dazzle others with creative solutions, but with your ethic as well.
About the Author. Eugene L. Mason has more than two decades of experience in ministry communications and technologies. More...
Copyright Eugene L. Mason. All rights reserved. 031109
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