Focus on creativity, not productivity

Who do we think we’re kidding? The advertising business is in trouble. In trouble because creative people are being squeezed out of the mix. It doesn’t matter how many times business leaders go to conferences and show each other Apple’s ‘Think different’ campaign from last century, it doesn’t change the reality for the drones back at the hive in 2013. The whole industry is closer to the mind-numbing drudgery of Apple’s ‘1984’ than anyone cares to admit. Talented people are clocking out, burning out or checking out for good, and that’s just not healthy.

It’s not just in the media, marketing and advertising industries either, it’s spreading through companies like this year’s strain of influenza. I’ve read of talented young lawyers who, having clocked 16 hour days relentlessly for months, have checked into mental health facilities for respite, only to be badgered on their mobiles by senior partners. I’ve seen new numbers on people feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and depressed in the workplace. 

No one can be creative in a climate of fear and anxiety. And many people report increasing pressure to be more productive rather than more creative in the workplace.

There’s the irony.

As the world becomes more complex, ambiguous and uncertain and we enter an era described by Google as “the age of acceleration of everything”, companies need to be far more dexterous and creative, not less.

Forget business models, forget communication models, what matters most is your engagement model. Your people are smarter, more connected and more conscious than ever. The most successful and sustainable companies from now on will focus on creating meaning and purpose for their people. As Nietzsche said: “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”

Craig Davis is founder of Brandkarma.com. You can find him on Facebook or on Twitter @craigdavis888.