In my opinion, the creative process is one of the most exciting elements of the business world. It’s where all of the magic happens. It’s where you dream about possibilities, create solutions, develop a lasting brand that you can be proud of, etc.. Though it has the potential to be the most exhilarating part of every project, it also has the potential to be what you dread the most.
If you’re like me, and I think you are, you’ve had to navigate the roaring seas of creative meeting chaos. It’s not too late to turn that ship around. Here are a few tips to help you get back on solid ground.
Get Your Best People Involved
Step one is to pull in the talent. I know, I know.. you’re supposed to get ideas from as many people as possible, right? Well, in my experience, not really. If you’re wanting your meetings to truly be productive, lean into the people that carry the most creative intuition. Those are the individuals that can give the most helpful feedback and offer realistic insight into achieving your goals. You don’t have to only include the experts, but consider that when you expect solid creative ideas from people who aren’t especially creative, you’re setting them up to fail. Set your people up for success by placing them where they can be the most helpful. Maybe the creative team is not their best fit and that’s ok.
Keep the Vision in front of the People
I’ve led and been a part of numerous creative meetings that got way off base because the people didn’t understand the point. If they can’t see the goal, it’s going to be hard for them to give you helpful feedback. Make sure that they have exactly what they need by clearly defining the long term goals and expectations before the meeting takes place.
Change Your Environment
Humans are creatures of habit. It’s very easy for us to fall into a routine. This can be good, but it can also cause our creativity to be stifled. If you’re feeling a little unproductive in your creative meetings, try mixing it up a bit. Maybe “walk and talk” or swop that lunch meeting for an early meeting over breakfast or coffee. Giving your team a chance to associate your agenda items with new surroundings may actually help them to think differently about the topic and potentially produce the results you’ve been waiting for.