One of the most efficient tactics we've learned here at Second Wind is to give creatives some decent “groove” time each day, enabling them to become more productive. Instead of harnessing them into meeting after meeting, leaving them only short snippets of time to create their best work, you should insist that meetings take place at the start or end of the day. This gives creatives at least four hours of uninterrupted groove time daily, allowing them to string together multiple, consecutive hours to work on assignments.
Instead of dividing their time across multiple projects, they can get the same work done in fewer hours by working on a project more intensively—and without interruption. We believe the dedication of time to a single project makes the work better as well.
The Structured Day – All meetings take place during the first two hours of the day, or the last two hours: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. should be designated as “uninterrupted groove time.” Of course, some interfacing will have to take place during this time, but make sure you keep it to a minimum. If everything is properly planned, and the team accepts the “groove” concept, four hours per day is plenty of time for meetings (some might even call it excessive).
Note: By meetings, we mean the “big” meetings (production and traffic, project input, brainstorming), not the short communications/clarifications between traffic and creative or between account people and creatives.
If this works for creatives, it will work for account executives as well. During the 10:00-to-3:00 time period, AEs can spend their time with clients either in person or by phone, Skype or email or some other appropriate method. In my opinion, account service people need to work more deeply with clients to build relationships, strategize, etc. AEs who hang around the agency all day tend to get bogged down in traffic and internal administrative meetings. Wouldn’t you rather see them with clients getting more business for the agency?
The Speed Desk – A number of agencies have instituted a “speed desk” aimed at protecting creatives from constant interruptions. This is a great idea! Assign a junior production artist to the speed desk; or make it a revolving responsibility among a few junior people to prevent burnout or boredom. As quick-turnaround corrections or resizes (or anything that does not require higher-level creative input) arrive, they go to the speed desk, rather than back to the originator, i.e., the more senior art director.
This allows art directors to devote uninterrupted groove time to “hot” new design projects. It also allows junior people to become familiar with work for all clients, since they’ll see a higher volume of different types of jobs. Finally, your clients will see positive results through faster attention to detail and agility in dealing with changes and project add-ons.
Try structured day and speed desk tactics to improve your agency’s creative groove time. Your agency should reap the rewards in better creative product and happier, more productive creative people.
