How To Manage Creative Risk

1 • @ESKIMON • CREATIVEMORNINGS SINGAPORE, APRIL 2016 • #CMRISK

RISKHOW TO MANAGE

SIMON KEMP • • CREATIVEMORNINGS SINGAPORE, APRIL 2016

CREATIVE


SIMON KEMP@eskimon


RISK


Exposure to the chance ofloss or injury.

~ the dictionary

“


RISK RELATES TO OUR INABILITY TO PREDICT AN OUTCOME WITH A DESIRED LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE


CREATIVITY


Using imagination and original ideas to create something new

~ the dictionary

“


SO, RISK IS INHERENT TO CREATIVITY: WHEN WE CREATE SOMETHING NEW, WE CAN’T GUARANTEE THE OUTCOME


THREE MAIN TYPES OF CREATIVE RISK

THE INABILITY TO PREDICT RETURNS ON INVESTMENTS

OF MONEY, EFFORT, AND TIME NEEDED TO CREATE

THE INABILITY TO PREDICT HOW OTHER PEOPLE (AND OURSELVES) WILL JUDGE

OUR CREATIONS

FINANCIAL EMOTIONALTHE INABILITY TO PREDICT HOW CREATIVE ACTIVITIES WILL IMPACT OUR HEALTH,

SAFETY, OR FREEDOM

PHYSICAL


MANY OF US SEE ‘RISK’ AS A BAD THING


BUT RISK WORKS BOTH WAYS: IT OFFERS THE POTENTIAL FOR GAINS AS WELL AS LOSSES


THERE CAN BENO CREATIVITY WITHOUT RISK


’Tis better to have created and failedthan never to have

created at all.~ a bastardisation of Alfred Lord Tennyson

“


...BUT OBVIOUSLY WE’D PREFER TO CREATE AND SUCCEED, RATHER THAN CREATE AND FAIL


SO, HOW DO WE TIP THE BALANCE IN FAVOUR OF SUCCESS, AND GET MORE OF WHAT WE WANT?


DEALING WITH RISK:1. IDENTIFY

2. UNDERSTAND3. MANAGE


C10


CLARITYRISKS ASSOCIATED WITH A LACK OF DIRECTION


HOW DO YOUWIN GOLD AT

THE OLYMPICS?


THE ANSWER DEPENDS ENTIRELY ON WHICH SPORT YOU’RE COMPETING IN


IT’S MUCH HARDER TO SUCCEED WHEN WEDON’T KNOW WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE


A LACK OF CLEAR OBJECTIVES IS INVARIABLYTHE GREATEST CAUSE OF CREATIVE ‘FAILURE’


WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACHIEVE?


RESPECT ENJOYMENT PRIDE LEARNING

PURPOSE MONEY COMMUNITY POWER

SOME COMMON CREATIVE MOTIVATIONS


BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF: CHOOSE THE ONE YOU FEEL, NOT THE ONE YOU THINK YOU SHOULD CHOOSE


BASED ON THAT, WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FORYOU 12 MONTHS, 5 YEARS, AND 25 YEARS FROM NOW?


HAVING A CLEAR ‘PURPOSE’ DRAMATICALLY REDUCES YOUR RISK OF NOT ACHIEVING WHAT YOU WANT


...BUT HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SURVIVE LONG ENOUGH FOR YOU TO ACHIEVE THAT SUCCESS?


COMMERCIALISMRISKS ASSOCIATED WITH NOT UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF A CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL


ACTIVITIES THAT FOCUS PRIMARILY ON MAKING MONEY

OR INSPIRING CHANGE

ACTIVITIES THAT FOCUS PRIMARILY ON SELF-EXPRESSION OR ENTERTAINING OURSELVES

CREATIVITYAS A JOB

CREATIVITY AS A HOBBY

WHICH DESCRIBES YOUR CREATIVE CONTEXT?

VS


IF YOU RELY ON CREATIVITY TO SUPPORT YOUR LIFESTYLE, YOU’RE A CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL


NO SHIT SHERLOCK


!


YOU ARE NOT AN ARTIST WITH A RICH BENEFACTOR; YOU ARE A MEMBER OF A TEAM WITH A SET OF GOALS


PROFESSIONAL CREATIVITY IS A MEANS TO AN END: WHAT IT DOES IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT IT IS


WHAT WE HOPEOUR CREATIONSWILL ACHIEVE

WHAT WE WILL CREATE IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE

OUR DESIRED OUTCOMES

OUTCOMES OUTPUTS

A CRITICAL DISTINCTION

VS


RISK INCREASES SIGNIFICANTLY IF WE FAIL TO UNDERSTAND THE CHANGE CREATIVITY MUST DELIVER


BUT AS CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS, WE USUALLY NEED TO DRIVE CHANGE ON BEHALF OF OTHERS


NOTE:THE REST OF THIS PRESENTATION REFERS TO

THESE ‘OTHERS’ AS CLIENTS, BUT THEY COULD JUST AS EASILY BE PARTNERS, TEAMMATES, BOSSES, OTHER INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS,

SHAREHOLDERS, OR EVEN REGULATORS.


COMMUNICATIONRISKS ASSOCIATED WITH FAILING TO UNDERSTAND CLIENTS’ NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS


ANOTHER BIG RISK IS A LACK OF ALIGNMENTWITH CLIENTS ON WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE


WHAT DOES YOUR CLIENT WANT TO ACHIEVE?


WHATWE

WANT

WHAT CLIENTS

WANTSUCCESS


WE ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT RISK LOOKS LIKE FOR THEM, AND HOW MUCH THEY’LL TOLERATE


TIP: USE ‘RISK PROFILING’ TECHNIQUES (SIMILAR TO THOSE FINANCIAL ADVISORS USE) TO IDENTIFY THIS


WHAT YOUR CLIENT HOPES TO ACHIEVE, AND BY WHEN

HOW MUCH UNCERTAINTY THEY WILL TOLERATE ALONG THE WAY

DESIREDOUTCOME

RISKPROFILE

2 THINGS WE MUST CLARIFY AT THE OUTSET

&


CLIENTS RARELY MATCH OUR TOLERANCE FOR RISK THOUGH, SO WE MUST HELP THEM ‘BUY IN’ TO IDEAS


COLLABORATIONRISKS ASSOCIATED WITH NOT INVOLVING OTHER PEOPLE IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS


MANY CREATIVE PEOPLE PREFER TO TACKLE CREATIVE CHALLENGES ALONE


BUT WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT SUCCESS IS NOTJUST DETERMINED BY WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE...


WHATWE

WANT

WHAT CLIENTS

WANTSUCCESS


WORKING TOGETHER WITH CLIENTS GREATLY REDUCES THE RISK OF MISALIGNMENT


OUR PERSPECTIVES WILL RARELY ALIGN PERFECTLY THOUGH, SO COMPROMISE IS ALMOST INEVITABLE


BUT HOW DO WE CONVINCE CLIENTS TO TRUST OUR ADVICE WHEN COMPROMISE IS THE WRONG CHOICE?


CONVICTIONRISKS ASSOCIATED WITH A LACK OF SELF-BELIEF


SUCCESSFUL CREATIVITY REQUIRES SELF-BELIEF AND FAITH IN OUR INSTINCTS


GO WITH YOUR GUT


WHEN YOU CAN’T FIND A COMPROMISE, DISCUSS THE CLIENT’S CONCERNS IN THE CONTEXT OF OBJECTIVES


SHOW THEM THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THEIR NEEDS, AND THAT YOU’RE NOT JUST BEING A CREATIVE DIVA


EXPLAINING THE OBJECTIVE REASONS WHY THE APPROACH

YOU’RE RECOMMENDING IS MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

HELPING CLIENTS UNDERSTAND HOW THE MORE SUBJECTIVE

CREATIVE ELEMENTS IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS

LOGIC EMOTION

MANAGING RISK REQUIRES BALANCE

&


HOWEVER, SOMETIMES YOU’LL NEED TO STAND YOUR GROUND AND ASSERT YOUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE


COURAGERISKS ASSOCIATED WITH A LACK OF BRAVERY


CREATIVITY DEMANDS BRAVERY: IT REQUIRES US TO TRY NEW THINGS, AND BE JUDGED ON OUR CHOICES


NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH EXCESSIVE SELF-CENSORSHIP AND SELF-CENSURING


EVEN WHEN WE ACCEPT THE NEED FOR BRAVERY, CREATIVE COURAGE MAY BE ANATHEMA TO CLIENTS


SO HOW DO WE STRENGTHEN OUR COURAGE, AS WELL AS THE COURAGE OF OUR CLIENTS?


COURAGE COMES WITH PRACTISE: THE MORE WE DO SOMETHING, THE MORE CONFIDENT WE BECOME AT IT


The harder I work, the luckier I get.

~ Samuel Goldwyn

“


CONSISTENCYRISKS ASSOCIATED WITH A LACK OF DETERMINATION


ACHIEVING SUCCESS THROUGH EVOLUTION

AND ITERATION

STAKING EVERYTHING ON ONE SINGLE CHANCE OF ACHIEVING SUCCESS

INVESTMENT GAMBLE

TWO POTENTIAL WAYS TO SUCCEED

OR


OVERNIGHT SUCCESS IS INCREDIBLY RARE; MOST OF US WILL NEED TO INVEST A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT


80% of success is just turning up

~ Woody Allen

“


SO WHAT ABOUT THAT REMAINING 20%?


IT’S ABOUT TURNING UP EVERY DAY – REGARDLESS OF HOW ‘INSPIRED’ YOU ARE – AND MAKING IT WORK


FAILFASTER?


NONSENSE


I’ve not failed;I’ve just found10,000 ways

that don’t work.~ Thomas A. Edison, on inventing the light bulb

“


LEARNFASTER


WE ONLY ‘FAIL’ IF WE GIVE UP; EVERYTHING ELSE IS SIMPLY PART OF OUR JOURNEY TOWARDS SUCCESS


HOWEVER, WE MUST ALSO ENSURE WE’RE NOT TOO FOCUSED ON OUR CURRENT PATH AND PERSPECTIVE


COMPLACENCYRISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ARROGANCE OR AN OVERLY INWARD FOCUS


REGARDLESS OF OUR CONVICTIONS, THERE’S A RISK THAT THE WORLD CHANGES RADICALLY AROUND US


THINGS LIKE TECHNOLOGY CAN QUICKLY DISRUPT THE VALUE THAT OUR CREATIVITY IS DESIGNED TO DELIVER


TECH-DRIVEN TRENDS DISRUPTING CREATIVITY

PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO BE INTERRUPTED BY

ADS, AND 50% NOW BLOCK EVERYTHING

THE EXPANDING MEDIA LANDSCAPE, AND THE ASSOCIATED DILUTION

OF ATTENTION

AD-BLOCKINGBY DEFAULT

MEDIAPROLIFERATION

WE ARE RAPIDLY APPROACHING

THE END OF THE ‘SCREEN ERA’

EVOLVINGINTERFACES

WE’LL SOON DELEGATE MUCH OF OUR

DECISION-MAKING TO MACHINES

THE ROLE OFALGORITHMS


WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THESE CHANGES AFFECT OUR APPROACH AND IMPACT OUR OBJECTIVES


BUT REMEMBER: IT’S UP TO YOU TO CHOOSEHOW YOU BRING YOUR CREATIVE IDEAS TO LIFE


DON’T BE AFRAID TO EXPLORE NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO DELIVER YOUR CREATIVE VALUE IN NEW WAYS


CHANGERISKS ASSOCIATED WITH NOT EVOLVING


EMBRACING CHANGE AND ALL ITS UNCERTAINTIES IS WHAT ‘BEING CREATIVE’ IS ALL ABOUT


SO, CONSTANTLY EXPLORE NEW WAYS TO SATISFYYOUR MOTIVATIONS AND ACHIEVE YOUR OBJECTIVES


BY CONTINUING TO EVOLVE THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER, YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO ACHIEVE THE 10TH C...


CONTENTMENTRISKS ASSOCIATED WITH NOT ENJOYING THE WORK THAT YOU DO


...AND IF YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF DISCONTENTED, SIMPLY GO BACK TO THE FIRST ‘C’ AND START AGAIN


1. CLARITY2. COMMERCIALISM3. COMMUNICATION4. COLLABORATION

5. CONVICTION

6. COURAGE7. CONSISTENCY8. COMPLACENCY

9. CHANGE10. CONTENTMENT

THE 10 CS OF CREATIVE RISK


LET’S CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION...


JUST SEARCH FOR ESKIMON



KEPIOS’S CORE STRATEGIC OFFERINGS

IDENTIFYING YOUR HIGHEST-VALUE OPPORTUNITIES AND

CHALLENGES, AND PRESCRIBING THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION.

WORKING WITH YOU TO DEFINE YOUR BRAND'S CORE PILLARS: ITS PURPOSE, PROPOSITION,

AND POSITIONING.

BUSINESSPLANNING

BRANDSTRATEGY

HELPING TO OPTIMISE YOUR WAYS OF WORKING FOR THE

MOST EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF YOUR STRATEGY.

TEAMDEVELOPMENT


LEARN MORE AT

kepios.com


SIMON KEMP

@ESKIMON

[email protected]

+65 9146 5356

KEPIOS.COM

Design

How To Manage Creative Risk