This article about in Boston.com about how “slackers” have (supposedly) skated past the recession drama-rama brought up good points but contained a few logical flaws. For me, it was an “I see both sides of that coin” moment. A feeling very similar to my experience of spelling the word, “environment” (en-vahy-ruh
n-muhnt), and the aggravation I have with that damn sneaky “n” continually masquerading as if it belonged there. Damn “n”.
Follow me here…this got me thinking about:
1 . If the creative’s blurry line between self-satisfaction/work/ and moving fast leaves them lacking foundation or the relevant experience that taking the long road does. And how big company management may lack the ability to move fast due to bloated infrastructures.
2 . How companies are very clearly run by the creatives or the management. And how this is usually established right on the home page.
Razorfish — (wait, wait let the dots load) = creatives.
OMD — (very “us” focused) = management.*
3. If the question of, is A better than B, really the right question? The question more aptly may be, who can adapt to the new rules faster, cheaper and better.*
The bet on red: management focused companies use their six-sigma certifications and good ol’ boy handshakes to hire creatives, reduce overhead and change their culture from tortoise to hare.
“When Atlas shrugs, these lightweight Gen-Xer types will be the first to fall off his shoulders.
I love the fact that i work my posterior off to pay for these slackers, and yes, they are slackers, to fritter their collective lives away tipping at socialistic windmills and thinking small. If our fore bearers did this, we’d be wearing skins and living in yurts…and yelling our opinions at each other!! Mr. Scharfenberg you are the perfect O-bot!! America’s call used to be “aim high.” I fear it’s being changed to “aimless.”
Or, the bet on black: creatives harness their understanding of ever changing technologies and multi-tasking to build viable, profitable businesses.
“We brought you the Internet, worked on green technology, and filled the ranks of Teach for America. We crossed the color line, ate local produce, and bought secondhand clothing. We lived in smaller spaces, drove smaller cars, and took the subway to work.”
*Either one of these bets could prove successful over time but we don’t have time. There is that old adage that you can have two of the following the three elements in a product or service, but not all three.
✓ Cheap
✓ Good
✓ Fast
This new economy has made fast, or better put “nimble”— a prerequisite. And this leaves “cheap and good” sans parapets, with new positions to defend.
Creative led companies have to stick to their guns but must learn to diversify clientele, services and strengthen their management foundation. Translation—balance time spent on market research and projected cash flow with Twittering about the napkin quality at your local watering hole and submitting things to Found Magazine. Creatives need to understand that hiring one suit with an MBA to play bad cop isn’t going to cut it. There needs to be internal adoption of business fundamentals. This is where “good and cheap” get put under a microscope and where big business has a leg up.
Management led companies on the other hand need to figure out “fast”, fast. (See the well-worn example of 37 Signals.) Creatives already have that figured out. By the time you’ve had your 4th meeting about the corporate redesign and deciphered that usability study, they have redesigned the redesign. Management needs to buy into a new culture of transparency and make sure their new message/service resonates with a new management style. Translation = they should take the photos of senior management in the old “suit-and-tie semi-circle” off their site. (I’m not sensing insights, ideas or results by viewing this photo. Instead I’m intimidated.)
The race is on. We are figuring it all out too. Place your bets and tip the croupier.
—Ian