The insert below is a transcription of the video:
1. Give them time and space to create.
When leading a creative, it is essential to understand that their process looks different than you think. As a leader, you might be a very type-A driven personality, whereas your creative might not be. And without getting to deep into personality types, it is really important to recognize this. The person on the other side of the ask may create better in a clean, tidy office space. Others may prefer a lobby or coffee shop. Whatever their process looks like, it is in your best interest to give them the time and space to produce your request. Which leads me to number two.
2. Communicate clearly.
Clear communication is essential to a creative. When communicating the vision behind your ask, it is best to give them the foundation. Explain what you want the element to communicate. For instance, if you are asking for a video series bumper, tell them what emotion you are pulling for, what context you are pulling from, is it scriptural based, is it theme-based? All these elements paint the picture in the mind of a creative. Remember, they understand the mechanics behind your ask, so when you have communicated what you are looking for, ask questions. Does that make sense? Ask them to weigh in. Ask them if there are any roadblocks in the way. Ask them what resources they may need to achieve this. And then, allow them to ask you questions. Remember, communication is not just a one-way street. You, as a leader, empower your team when they have buy in. You are not just asking them to do something for you; you are asking them to be an extension of what you as a Leader or Pastor are trying to communicate.
3. Deadlines work both ways.
I have been on both sides of creative Ministry and Pastoral leadership. One of the most crippling things we can do as Pastors are put unrealistic expectations on our creative team. The fact is, I never want to place an expectation on my team that I am not also willing to place on myself. In the process of communication, it is essential to plan as much as possible to set up all the moving parts within your creative team. You never want to ask a big thing in a small-time frame. I love BBQ, and for those of you that may not know, when you make BBQ the saying is low and slow. What that means is, to achieve the best tasting, the best quality flavor is to cook your meat at a low temperature at a consistent pace. It may not go as fast as we want, but the end product is always better. The same applies to our creative process. We always want things done quickly, but we must remember that these things take time, and if we rush things, we get rushed results.
4. Trust
This one may be a hard one to swallow. Pastors, leaders. It is important for you to trust your creative team. The fact is, is your creative team know the trends far more than you do. Trust them in their creativity. Let them explore new styles and trends. Another hard reality is, just because you may not like it, that does not mean it is not good or right for the request. With that being said, as the leader or Pastor, you are the final say, so if there is something that doesn't settle well with you, instead of criticizing, ask questions. Ask questions like, "help me understand why you chose this, or help me understand why it's this way or that." You will get more significant results with questions than with harsh criticism. But to circle back around, it's so important that you trust your team. If your team does not feel like they have your trust, then they will feel like they are working against you rather than with you.
- Casey Johnson
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