Almost half of creatives spend about one day per week on administrative duties. While important, that adds up quickly as time that could have been spent on developing creative ideas, collaboration, refining the execution of a project or even time spent recuperating — all the reasons why creatives get into their line of work, and the same factors that add great value to both your projects and your team.
Businesses need to empower their creatives with the right approach to cut down on time spent on busywork so that they can better cope with their day-to-day work load, especially as they juggle project opportunities across different digital platforms and channels.
Achieving this means favouring simplicity and communication in the way that creatives use work technology, but in a cultural framework that provides the tools and guidance to do so.
Make organisation easy
Organisation is a necessity for any job, but especially when coming up with creative ideas. Otherwise, it can feel like swimming with your clothes on – doable, but weighed down by unnecessary restraints. For a creative, this may look like having your work day cluttered with numerous apps and clunky technology that slows down their mental process when switching from task to task. Utilising technology like task management tools is a way that can enable them to keep up, by helping to designate tasks, update due dates and keep track of team members.
Often, those tiny tasks like moving files around can have a domino effect where you spend longer looking for information. But choosing technology that has automated functions can help to cut down on these tedious tasks – whether it is by eliminating the need to email different collaborators on alterations or using multiple platforms for sharing images and videos.
Technology is a way for these workers to make their time work for them, so that it adds up to greater productivity, control over their day, and higher work satisfaction.
Communicate your process
Knowing the status of your project is essential, both for communicating progress with clients and for updating collaborators across departments. Although most creatives share an outline of their goal before getting started, realistically — many people miss out on the fine print.
Teams need to find a communication method that works for them when it comes to proactively answering questions from colleagues and partners about everything from the creative process to essential deadlines.
Companies need to provide creatives with the right tools to help them manage administrative tasks; hence they can designate time to do what they are good at. Intelligent platforms that enable creatives to share files, swiftly communicate and collaborate on projects, and use visual elements to convey complex ideas and numerical data will allow them to have more time to engage in creative endeavours.
