Andy Stefanovich HOW opening keynote

Imagine for a moment a room filled with thousands of like-minded individuals. Everyone is there for the same reason – to learn something new about the industry they love, to be inspired to be better and more excited about their chosen professions and to connect with people who understand the ins and outs of daily life as a creative professional.

This was exactly the scene at the 2010 HOW Design Conference this past June in the mile-high city of Denver, CO. In addition to being asked why attend industry conferences, I’m also asked how to get the most out of the experience. Let’s be real — the investment of time and money to attend any conference is pretty significant. You have the cost of admission, travel and lodging, and the days away from your family and your job! I’m a big believer in ROI (return on investment), so here are a few pointers on how to get the most from a conference experience.

In my last post about the HOW Conference, I focused on the importance of connecting with people. Here we will discuss the educational component of conference-going. In convincing yourself or your company to put up the cash for attendance, I’m guessing the most compelling reason was centered around what you could learn. There are some forward thinking managers who believe keeping you connected and inspired is important but, sadly, they seem to be a bit scarce. The question then is, “How do I maximize what I learn”?

First of all, walk up to the registration desk with a list of things you WANT to learn. Without looking at speakers and sessions decide what it is that your company, your career and your psyche want to glean from the conference. I’ve no doubt all afore mentioned entities know where they are and where they want to go. So, take a good hard look, unbiased by program offerings, at what you want to learn at the conference. I suggest the list be condensed to contain three items, no less and no more. With the list in hand register for sessions staying focused on what you want to learn.

Next, be open-minded about what you WILL learn. These may sound like contradictory ideas but they are actually complimentary. I’m a huge believer in charting a course but having the flexibility to make alterations along the way as unforeseen opportunities and obstacles come into your path. Don’t walk into sessions expecting ah-ha moments, miracles or perfection. Those do happen and every once in awhile you connect with what’s being said and have a “come-to-Jesus moment.” The presenters are people just like you sharing ideas and experiences. It’s 100% up to you what you learn because EVERYONE has something to teach. Look past personalities, communication styles and personal views and be open-minded about what you can take away. Attendees often spend more time critiquing every element of a presentation than looking for their own personal take-away. Sorry folks, but its not up to the event staff or the presenter to force a take-away into your hands. It’s laid out on the stage like a gift and it’s up to you to walk up receive it and take it home with you.

Kevin Carroll of Katalyst HOW closing keynote

The HOW Conference provides abundant opportunities to expand and deepen your knowledge about design, business, career growth, life balance and so much more. It requires self-examination, planning, a willingness to be flexible and a genuine desire to be open-minded. As a greater community of creative professionals interested in furthering the industry, the relationship between the staff, presenters and attendees is key to the success of any conference. By entering into an unspoken agreement to be positive and constructive, everyone who experiences the conference can walk away feeling they have contributed and gained insights to furthering the industry and their careers.

Next up: Why the HOW Conference… INSPIRATION

For more information on the HOW Conference, visit http://howconference.com

As just a fun little exercise I went to Amazon.com and typed in the words “love what you do”. Holy guacamole!! I couldn’t believe how many books showed up titled that very thing! Apparently, this is a popular subject. I would assume its popularity is due to the concept being so right-on but the reality being elusive. That leads me to ask “why is it so elusive’?

We started to talk about the first 10 years of running a staffing firm for creative professionals. It’s not that I was passionate about staffing, quite the contrary. What I was passionate about was how I got to go about doing my job. I was in love with what I accomplished in that job. I loved building a business that had my personality stamped all over it from the grass mat ceilings to the walls painted a vibrant orange appropriately called ‘Hawaiian Passion’. I loved walking in each morning to see what we had built. I loved talking to people and helping them find a career path not just a job. I loved working with high-level design thinkers strategizing on how to best build their organizations. I loved mentoring my staff and promoting the company through a strong brand experience. Ahhh, that’s loving what you do!

I guess all this is to say that it’s not your title or your niche; it’s how you approach your day-to-day. Does it excite you, make you smile or better yet laugh? Do you fill euphoric when you’ve accomplished a task you were working on? If you fill dread in place of excitement and weary in place of euphoria, you’re not in the right place. It doesn’t take a book or a magic formula to decide whether you love what you do. It takes looking at your heart, how you breath, how you rest, how you feel. That’s it, you know. Now you just have to figure out what to do about it!

As is the case with most of the advice I see handed out, what makes for a good leader is quite simple and I don’t even have to charge you $23.95 plus shipping and handling. It starts with two very ordinary ideas; put yourself out there and lead genuinely.

Put yourself out there — Start by asking yourself, “How can my relationships encourage people to grow in confidence and skill with passion and a clarity of purpose?” This is such a modest concept but with so many facets of complexity. The relationships managers and other leaders form with those beneath them, above them and beside them are the greatest testaments to the strength of someone’s leadership abilities. In all respects these relationships need to foster an environment that encourages people to become increasingly confident in their own skills. Training someone to expand their abilities to perform really does require them to dig in and find the passion for their work and then add a healthy dose of purpose. Good leaders inspire people to eagerly pull from their own strengths and move forward with a clear direction in mind. This allows for outstanding work and effective collaboration.

Lead genuinely — Inspire others and leave a legacy of caring and integrity with a focus on promoting success for others. Leaders often manipulate rather than manage, their approach being competitive rather than compassionate and self-serving rather than selfless. This serves no purpose and is counter-productive. I’m often reminded that the greatest leaders are those that assist individuals in becoming great themselves, capable of succeeding and excelling. Empowerment and encouragement are two of the most significant principles in strong leadership practices.

In the highly structured corporate environments that are so commonplace today, leading successfully can be a difficult task particularly with the many different schools of thought, ideas, methods and systems thrown at managers every day. Take a step back from all the advise you hear and go back to the basics – the “Golden Rule” of treating others as you yourself would want to be treated.

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” — Mark Twain

Comments welcome!

- Jeni Herberger, Creative and Corporate Visionary

Are you a Corporate Creative? “Whether they’re copywriters, marketers, product designers, R&D engineers or even forward thinking managers and, dare I say, enlightened HR staff—if they are individuals who are empathetic, entrepreneurial, intuitive and non-linear thinkers with a healthy rebellious bent, then, I’d say, they are a corporate creative,” says Epstein.

Surviving and more importantly succeeding in a corporate world requires you to be a project manager as well as a designer as well as a creative. This book provides key strategies and tactics to help you establish yourself and your team as powerful players in your company. Experienced in-house designer Andy Epstein shows you how to:

• Communicate clearly and effectively
• Hire and train a winning team
• Work with other departments in the company
• Maximize efficiency within your group
• Make client management easy
• Cut through the read tape to create great design

Click here to purchase this book!

Both Jeni and Andy will be speaking at this year’s In-HOWse Conference in Denver from June 6-8. Please visit www.inhowseconference.com for more information!

You can’t win because you don’t have control. It’s a loosing battle trying to break through corporate bureaucracy and will do nothing but increase frustration and decrease the likelihood of establishing yourself as the brand expert. Instead look to change the things you do have control of… essentially, YOU!

Start with your attitude. No really! Look in the mirror and ask yourself – do I look like someone who commands respect, like a design expert, like a business partner or do I look like a victim, like someone who doesn’t care and doesn’t have the confidence to stretch the boundaries. If you (or in this case your department) feel you are not seen as you wish to be seen then I must ask you, “Have YOU looked at you?”

Let’s move on assuming you are the perfect picture of confidence and expertise. Do you promote yourself AND your department that way? I’m sad to say I’ve yet to walk into a design department to help them ‘do business better’ and see a department that overtly promotes themselves as the brand experts and as top-level designers. Put yourself in the shoes of your corporate client and imagine what they are experiencing and the assumptions they are formulating as they walk into your design department. Do they see evidence of your design expertise? Do they see an environment that reflects your abilities to create outstanding business solutions? Do they see a process that commands respect? I’m not talking about life-size Storm Trooper cutouts or Picasso artwork hanging from the walls. These are for your designers to express their inner creativity (or nerdiness). I’m talking about degrees and certificates, displays of work both for the company and outside the company. Is there a reception area where the client immediately gets the sense that you know what you are talking about? Is there a conference room where the client can sit, meet with your team and know instantly that you’re the man (or woman) for the job? How about a brainstorming area where your team can come alive and collaborate?

Do you understand that if your client does not perceive you as the experts you are BEFORE they begin a project with you, you will be fighting an uphill battle? Do you understand that if your team does not feel a sense of pride for how they present themselves that all is lost? Call it a ‘corporate makeover’. Come on, we’ve all seen the extreme makeovers on TV. You take a homely person, give them the tools to FEEL more beautiful and they instantly act more beautiful. That confidence comes across and works with the external elements that create an attractive individual. Do this with your department. Here’s just a few real world suggestion to get you and your group on a path towards greater respect within and outside:

• Visit a few of your favorite design firms – what do you EXPERIENCE when you walk in?
• Set up a brainstorming meeting with your team – how can your group emulate those experiences in your existing environment? Know your resource limitations the BE CREATIVE!
• Display the work your team has created OUTSIDE of the company whenever possible.
• Display with prominence work done for the organization, preferably in a story format that leads the client through your strategy and thus illustrating your expertise.
• Create a conference room that makes your client feel at ease and confident will your abilities.
• Hire entry/low-level designers to work on recurring projects such as imprints and forms. This will allow you to continue to offer this service but separate the initiation and communication of low-level work.
• Offer SUPERIOR customer service and follow-up with the client to determine the level of success in a given project.

Remember this when working towards greater respect within your department: you will be treated as you are perceived. How you are perceived is a direct reflection on your attitude and your ability to promote yourself.

I speak to inhouse groups often about functioning like a design firm. Don’t misunderstand this idea, its very simple. Inhouse groups need to align their departments to be the agency of choice for their organizations. Obviously companies have options for who they use to further their vision and business goals. The first question to ask, is why are they not choosing the inhouse group? I think the answer is simple but the reality is harsh. The answer is that the company believes they can get better service, a better outcome and more value outside of the existing department. This is the misconception that must change. And it won’t change by complaining or by being complacent.

Think about it. This is a problem every business must overcome; how will I get my customer to notice me, choose me, use me and come back for more? Inhouse departments should function no differently. This can be one of the most exciting initiatives for corporate creative teams. It starts with asking who is my client, what do they want and do I have the capabilities to give them what they need? These questions must be investigated and answered truthfully. This is the very foundation on which everything else must build.

Beyond the foundation or core business offering, inhouse teams need to market to their clients. Inhouse groups assume because if they work for the organization they will automatically get the business. That’s just an entitled attitude. You have to ask for the business, show you can produce the best possible product before they even walk in the door and, ultimately, earn their trust and loyality.

Another interesting observation within corporate creative teams is that of continued education, or the lack thereof. Having worked with 100s of inhouse departments, I’m always shocked by the low percentage of designers that pursue opportunities to expand their capabilities. The competition within an agency as well as the vast diversity of projects requires that designers stay current and always look for ways to improve their skills and inspire their creativity. Inhouse designers need to stay competitive for the good of their own careers as well as the good of their client’s business.

Keep in mind that every client whether internal or external is looking to further their brand recognition and see a return on their investment from marketing campaigns, visual communications and product design. Design is about solving problems, big or small. Providing a client with successful solutions is the core of what makes a good designer and a good design team.

Please add comments below with your thoughts and experiences. Design is a collaborative process, so let’s collaborate!

How Full Is Your Bucket?

How Full Is Your Bucket? is powerful, inspirational and easy to read. Grounded in decades of research and co-authored by Donald Clifton, a pioneer in the practice of positive psychology, this book uses the simple metaphor of a bucket and a dipper to illustrate the effects meaningful “bucket filling” can have on our life. The authors share with their readers discoveries based on research conducted on relationships in the work place, the military and among married couples. Along with scientific research, the authors tell engaging stories and leave the reader with five strategies for beginning to make positive change:

• Strategy One: Prevent Bucket Dipping
• Strategy Two: Shine a Light on What is Right
• Strategy Three: Make Best Friends
• Strategy Four: Give Unexpectedly
• Strategy Five: Reverse the Golden Rule

This book seems to have a heart of its own offering the perfect combination of narrative, explanation and action plans. The back of the book holds a pocket containing a wallet-size interview guide along with a few tools to get you started on filling the buckets of those around you. Additionally, visit http://www.bucketbook.com for more information, tools and tests.

How Full is Your Bucket?
By Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton, Phd.