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New Report Explores Most Important Qualities for Managing Design Teams

Posted on: Thursday, 11 December 2008, 08:00 CST

MENLO PARK, Calif., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Keeping morale and productivity high within creative departments can pose a challenge, particularly in the current economic environment. A new survey of design professionals outlines the most essential traits for today's creative leaders, as well as specific actions firms can take to retain creative staff and prepare them to assume greater responsibility.

Among the Highlights:

-- Open-mindedness and adaptability were cited as two of the most valuable traits of a creative manager, surpassing traditional attributes such as patience and loyalty.

-- More than four out of 10 (44 percent) respondents rated their leaders "fair" or "poor" at developing work environments that support risk-taking and exploration.

-- Nearly four out of 10 (39 percent) respondents said "doing more with fewer resources" will be the greatest priority for creative leaders in the coming year.

-- Less than half (46 percent) of respondents said their firms are taking steps to identify and prepare staff members to move into managerial roles.

The full findings are available in a new report, Profile of the New Creative Leader, developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service providing creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals on a project and full-time basis. A free copy of the report can be downloaded at http://www.creativegroup.com/creativeleader. More than 180 winners of Graphic Design USA's 2008 American Inhouse Design Awards were surveyed for the project.

"Effective leadership skills change in relation to the challenges teams face," said Megan Slabinski, executive director of The Creative Group. "Our goal with this project was to explore which traits are most necessary in the current environment, as well as how those qualities are being cultivated within creative organizations."

Adaptability Gaining Prominence

As business needs fluctuate and companies shift strategies, creative leaders must be able to adapt and help team members do the same. Nearly two-thirds of survey respondents rated open-mindedness and adaptability among the top five traits most desired in a creative leader. These attributes surpassed more traditional qualities such as patience and loyalty, which were cited by 11 percent and 8 percent of those polled, respectively. When it comes to the challenges creative leaders face, finding time to strategize versus attending to day-to-day tasks ranked at the top with 47 percent of the response.

Motivating on a Budget

The research demonstrated that simple acknowledgement of strong work can go a long way toward keeping staff motivated: Communicating successes to upper management (74 percent) and providing recognition at staff meetings or via company newsletters (61 percent) ranked among the most effective ways to acknowledge employee achievements, above perks such as paid time off (44 percent) or gift certificates (20 percent).

The Training Gap

The research also suggested that while many creative professionals want the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, few employers offer adequate training. More than half (55 percent) of respondents rated their firms only "fair" or "poor" at providing leadership training.

Companies may hold back on training because they haven't identified the right person to invest in. According to the research, many organizations lack succession plans and don't actively groom future leaders. Consequently, more than half (52 percent) of respondents said they weren't confident someone could fill their shoes if they had to step down from their position.

About The Creative Group

The Creative Group specializes in placing a range of highly skilled creative, advertising, marketing and web professionals with a variety of firms on a project and full-time basis. The Creative Group's internal account managers typically have prior experience working within the creative industry, which helps them better understand their clients' needs and their freelancers' unique talents. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., the firm has offices in major markets across the United States and in Canada. More information, including online job-hunting services, candidate portfolios and The Creative Group's award-winning career magazine, can be found at http://www.creativegroup.com.

SOURCE The Creative Group

Source: PR Newswire

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