I read Michael Beer's “The Silent Killers of Strategy Implementation and Learning” this weekend and I was inspired to think deeper into why I believe these silent killers feel significantly amplified in creative industries.
For some context - while I'm addressing the broader concept of a creative company in this piece most of my experience has been in the music industry .
While strategy is the anchor of many creative companies value proposition, implementation in an organization such as record labels can be more challenging due to several factors.
Potential Challenges
The root cause can be attributed to the the culture and inter-personal dynamics in the industry as a whole. Creative companies operate in dynamic environment with rapidly changing trends. This fluidity can make it challenging to create and stick to long-term strategy when the industry demands constant innovation and adaptation.
In addition, there is more subjectivity in the product they work with. Creative endeavors often involve subjective judgment and ambiguity. Defining clear, measurable objectives can be difficult when success is often determined by subjective criteria such as artistic expression or audience reception.
It's also no doubt that diverse skills and roles are valued on one team. Creative companies typically employ individuals with diverse skills and roles, from artists to technologists. Aligning such diverse talents with a unified strategy can be complex, as each role may have unique needs and priorities.
Creativity thrives in environments that allow for flexibility and freedom of expression. Introducing rigid structures for strategy implementation may face resistance, as creative professionals may perceive it as stifling their creative process.
Managing creative individuals requires a delicate balance between providing autonomy for innovative work and aligning individual efforts with broader strategic goals. Striking this balance is challenging but crucial for successful strategy execution.
Lastly, there's a risk taking nature in creative industries. Creative industries often involve a higher tolerance for risk and experimentation. Implementing a strategy may require taking risks that traditional organizations might find uncomfortable, making the process inherently more challenging.
Overcoming these Hurdles
All of these factors combined can lead to organizations tangled in formal arrangements and informal networks. To overcome these hurdles, effective communication, adaptive leadership, and a culture that values both creativity and strategic alignment are essential elements.
Effective communication in strategy starts with a clear articulation of purpose. Clearly communicate the purpose and long-term vision of the strategy, emphasizing how it aligns with the organization's creative values.
This helps bridge the gap between strategic goals and the inherent fluidity of creative work. When it comes to the strategy lifecycle and implementation, inclusive decision making and agile methodologies allow for iterative processes and quick adjustments. This accommodates the dynamic nature of creative industries, fostering adaptability and responsiveness to changing trends and open dialogue and perspective.
During the process, fostering a culture that empowers individuals to take ownership of their work is essential. Balancing strategic alignment with autonomy, encouraging creative professionals to explore innovative solutions within the broader framework of organizational goals will allow them to foster autonomy and high morale in a team of different personalities, skillets, and egos.
Finally, developing performance metrics that capture both quantitative and qualitative aspects of creative output allows for clear "management with objectives" in a subjective field. These metrics should allow for flexibility, acknowledging that success in creative industries may not always fit traditional, strictly measurable criteria.
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