Invest In The Next Generation

Whether you are building a creative team from the ground up or trying to expand your current team, I have found one thing to be the most rewarding and productive – investing your time and resources into younger creatives. Following are three things you gain by putting your focus on the next generation.

Curious not cocky

In my experience, if you can set expectations and define reality for the younger designers, developers, musicians, etc.. Their naive arrogance gives way to curiosity. They will come in asking questions instead of stating how good they are. I have watched creative skillsets grow into a mature, experienced form and those persons are eternally grateful.

We over me

That gratefulness creates a humility and the team becomes the focus. You will start to see interaction between teammates looking for feedback and critique and the art gets better and better. The next generation will see your investment in them and return the favor.

You can feel the wins

You will watch the skill grow from project to project. This creates an enormous amount of momentum for the team. When individuals get better, the team rallies. Excitement grows and buy-in increases.

Disclaimer:
I know what you are thinking. “This isn’t always true. Most young creatives have an ego the size of Texas!” I have seen my fair share of that too, but in my experience if you set expectations and define reality (you aren’t as good as you think you are) their eyes are opened more times than not.