Comments

The creative class must call its own shots! This so speaks to making sure to be a Free Agent nation class member - we must be business ecosystem smart so we gain financial [and career abusiveness] independence ASAP - then live by networking, staying smart, creating new business models, being cool.

Posted by Sean at May 18, 2005 1:40 PM

Tom,

I had a VERY similar departure from my last company (a top media company). I shared an email I wrote a couple years ago on my blog which covered one situation. It's the email everyone would love to send, but never do. I did...:
http://brandirect.blogspot.com/

Surprisingly, I don't work there anymore. ;)
Doug

Posted by Douglas Karr at May 18, 2005 2:12 PM

Though I see your point, I'm not sure that I fully agree with you Sean. You're calling for creatives to create their own orbit, when many would probably do quite well by "orbiting the giant hairball" as Gordon McKenzie puts it in his book by that very title.

I think too many of us creatives create our own orbit, but even as a free agent, you must be willing to orbit around clients (albeit maybe temporarily). Without some sort of symbiotic relationship with corporate culture, we would have no financial means. The trick is to not be pulled in by corporate culture's gravity.

Posted by Dustin at May 18, 2005 2:22 PM

Darci, your comments are well taken. Maybe in, oh, a hundred or two hundred years management policies will actually adopt adult conversation and interaction as guideposts for behaviour. Until then, it's the sandbox.

Posted by Tom C at May 18, 2005 2:35 PM

I agree with your quote from Mr. Hirshberg, "Creative abrasion means harnessing the frictional energies released between distinct perspectives and work styles to generate new directions and novel solutions." I wrote a post on that myself last week but referenced John Seely Brown and John Hagel. They have a new book out, "The Only Sustainable Edge: Why Business Strategy Depends On Productive Friction and Dynamic Specialization" that you might be interested in. I think people do not have enough candor in the work place since many of us are afraid of being critized or worse - getting fired.

http://www.advancinginsights.com/mybiz/?q=big_bang_theory_for_blogs

Posted by jim wilde at May 18, 2005 2:42 PM

Good Comment TomC !!

We also tried recently tried our hand out for "listening posts" both internal external. I recommend a DVD from Standfor Executive Briefings 'Frontiers of Excellence' Lessons from Organizations that put people first.

Robert Waterman clearly indicates that organizational arrangements, not clever strategy , is the main strategic edge !!!

the SEB DVDs' can be ordered online from Stanford.edu. Its well worth the investment !!

Posted by /pd at May 18, 2005 2:48 PM

Dustin - a solo act rarely thrives. I've had a long US goverment career - world's largest employer - and have "thrived" by being respectful [orbit] ... so luckily now am vested in a pension - the new freedom is amazing - however, the next end game is to be hired back as a consultant [double-dipping]... peace and respect and even love seems to be a cool approach historically ...

Posted by Sean at May 18, 2005 2:58 PM

Thanks for the tip, pd!

For those wanting to investigate these videos:

http://www.kantola.com/sfm.cgi?sn=1GW252|t=d/eb

Posted by Tom C at May 18, 2005 3:05 PM

Sean, re-read your initial post. I think I just echoed your sentiment rather than argued with it. "Business ecosystem smart" and "orbiting" seem somewhat synonymous. My rash reading habits got the best of me.

Best of luck double-dipping back into orbit.

Posted by Dustin at May 18, 2005 3:29 PM

Ah, Corporate America (or really any size of business, for that matter) - most are still blind, not wanting to see that "Human Resources" isn't just a department where old secretaries go to fade away...or a group to protect the company against any employee claims...As Mr. P says in one of his books, "It's the PEOPLE, stupid." This was really brought home (again) for me today when reading about GM's troubles. Virtually the first thing mentioned was "cuts in headcount" Um...well, those heads have brains (not to mention families)...why not use those brains, encourage thinking, reward risks?

Posted by Mary Schmidt at May 18, 2005 5:07 PM

Dustin - I agree. Trevor and I shared similar research that showed the MD's that got chronically sued were the arrogant "don't have time for you" type, while the sincere, caring mistake maker MD's avoided litigation - hmmm ... may be a lesson there for creatives trying to get orbit buy in for the next new thing ...

Posted by Sean at May 18, 2005 6:08 PM

In talking to many of my peers, it seems as if the arrogant "don't have time for you" types are not terribly rare. Many of the creative directors and art directors I speak to complain about how the client "doesn't get it." I sense they equally don't get the client, creating a mutual distrust and disrespect. Sadly, we fail to get "us" and "them" on the same team, losing the opportunity for truly gasp-worthy results.

Posted by Dustin at May 18, 2005 6:26 PM

Totally agree with you Mary - So lets do something positive!

Go and find your local HR hero and use him/her. They are usually very experienced at coaching and guiding and helping with the wierd soup of human stuff we deal with. I am luck my local HR Hero is fantastic - really gets involved in the management of our people. She is tough on us too - keeps us on the straight and narrow and challenges us!

Posted by PaulH at May 19, 2005 9:00 AM

What we have here is a failure to communicate.
The challenge I see it is the turn on factor that makes the creative, creative.
Creatives think about time differently. They recognize that the next great idea may come from watching an ant push a leaf up a sandy hill. Creatives think about space differently. Everywhere-is the job and each encounter in space is a learning experience. The cost of creative work is not always recouped financially, and the end may not be defined until the end. The risk is considered part of the game.
The payoff however may be amazing.

The Creative worker will most often clash with the Analytical policy Wonks that run the world. This is a world that is built on equal treatment regarding time and space. This world thrives on maintaining the status quo. This world thrives on yesterday and has written rules that make the whole corporate thing Ground Hog day. So there in lies the rub. Once you define a thing it no longer exists as it was prior to the definition. There is a certain amount of flux that needs to be embraced in order to get to the next level. Destroy the policy and begin anew. Experience your soul in its highest form and move on.

Posted by Gary Fox at May 19, 2005 5:15 PM

May I suggest the Whole Brain Bussiness Book by Ned Herrmann. Ned put together this concept while working at GE some years ago. Good stuff about the chasm that exists between the
different brain dominance modes.

(right/left)(Creative/Analyzer)

(upper/lower) (Cerebral/Limbic)

Posted by Gary Fox at May 19, 2005 5:25 PM

Brain structure certainly plays a part as does the natural biochemical cocktail that constantly bathes brain and body. But I think there is an additional factor--some call it values; others call it ethics.

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Whatever we call it, we have all experienced the values that leaders hold. Even the TYCO and Enron types had values--it's just that theirs did not take into consideration a common good. And their behaviors did not reflect the values that they talked about--they did not "walkthetalk."
Most of us have played for coaches or worked for managers, leaders, or bosses who talked one game and behaved in quite another way. While they talked about the value of people, they treated theier own people or customers with disrespect, as tools to use. The scars and war stories can entertain us after-the-fact. But while we are on such teams or in such organizations, it can feel pretty miserable.

When there is a mismatch of values between what we hold as important, what we see as ethical, and how our leaders behave--the walk of "walkthetalk," we feel discouraged, fatigued. When we can leave, we do. And when we can't leave due to mortgage and orthodontic and tuition payments, we check out, migrating into that 70% of disengaged workers that Gallup research identified.
I believe that when people are treated with respect and recognition (factors that Gallup suggests are related to engagement), no matter what side of the brain they favor, they are able to think strategically and creatively and to act with purpose. It's the entry fee for enabling people to see that the work really does matter.

Posted by Pam Brill at May 21, 2005 2:16 PM

What's was all that about the creative class? everybody is able to be creative, if we create the circumstances for it then creativity blooms. But how was going to be creativity reduced to a few creative ones?! it's pathetic and it's not creative at all BTW.

Could we start ourselves facilitating things so everybody feel more grateful, considered and appreciated? Then better quality thinking, at a much higher power and positive level can start flowing for the good of everybody? I haven't mention this being easy...

The fit into the organization issue is not wheter they accept us as fittings but if we accept them as creative human being also and are willing to make that super-atmosphere. Are you Mr/Ms cool-creative?

Posted by Omara at May 21, 2005 9:06 PM

The trouble with large companies is that they do not have the capacity to handle free thought. The structure is so internally political that if you show any real ability your boss will have his or her eye on the hatchet. The problem is that there are no rules that you can follow to ensure job security. When popularity is the basis for keeping your job you are in trouble because you are looking at a very fickle side of human nature. In environments where internal political maneuvering is discouraged, meritocracies flourish and your worth is related directly to what you can bring to your job. Most companies encourage politics.

Posted by Cassandra Helm at May 22, 2005 5:00 AM

Weel pointed Cassandra, large companies have became all too beaurocratic and rigid...But politics to me are more a question of diplomacy and I think this is fabulous. And yes, job security has gone, now is about self-security and embracing life to its fullest: will it be life wortwhile if we are supposed to live it stucked to a mortgage, objects, authistic TV shows, and so on? We could learn something from the Asian ideas, for instance, that are less focussed on the constant desire for possesing material stuff (not mentioning people). I can think of the masterpiece "Kane citizen" that illustrated very well this issue.

Posted by Omara at May 22, 2005 10:53 AM