If you are responsible for managing creative workers, you must provide them space to experiment. These people need to have the freedom to act. It can happen that they will demand access to expensive tools. All this for the sake of inspiration, according to an article on the website of the INSEAD business school.
You may think that creative people do not want any structure but that is not the case: on the contrary, they need superiors to suggest deadlines and also provide them with supportive functions. Sometimes there may be a conflict between the personality and style of the creative person and the style and culture of your company. Raf Simons left Dior only to join Calvin Klein. His minimalist approach to fashion and affection for simple designs and colours fitted in much better at the new company.
Real life examples: functioning partnerships
Such a necessary structure and support can be observed in partnerships formed by designers and businessmen. For example, Tom Ford teamed up with former Gucci CEO Domenico de Sole. Another example is Patrizio Bertelli, who combined his business drive with Miuccia Prada’s creative talent.
When people collaborating in a partnership understand the roles, tension disappears. However, both sides need to understand each other. There must also be mutual respect. Creative people need a special environment but, on the other hand, they must understand that long-term success in business requires circumspect and coherent management.
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