Whether you’re a brand new manager or seasoned one, there are several key factors to keep creative folks happily engaged in their work and of course, productive. And if you’re not a manager, no worries there  — the tips below can give you ideas as to how you may want to be managed by your boss.

1. Spoil them and let them fail. As pointed out on a Harvard Business Review blog post, one effective way to manage creative folks involves encouragement to think outside the box. 

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic writes, “Innovation comes from uncertainty, risk, and experimentation — if you know it will work, it isn’t creative. Creative people are the natural experimenters, so let them try and test and play. Of course, there are costs associated with experimentation — but these are lower than the cost of NOT innovating.” Read more

Want to learn how to be a leader? Stop thinking like a wanna be and simply go for it.

That’s what Les McKeown says in his latest post on Inc.com. The author of Predictable Success: Getting Your Organization on the Growth Track–and Keeping it There notices similar thought patterns for people who strive to become leaders.

Unfortunately, they end up sharing three reasons time and time again as excuses why they haven’t begun to lead. Read more

According to the Harvard Business Review blog, there’s a tip today to nod our heads in agreement.

Have you ever felt like when you’re doing a great job and your team is collaborating, you’re all winning? Well, along the lines of winning, the piece advises managers to instill more fun and excitement into the job so essentially it feels like a game.

What does this mean exactly? Managers should provide a “sharply focused, urgent goal and a very tight deadline.” Let’s say there’s actually a long-term goal instead. Well, in that case, managers should break it down into smaller more immediate goals.  If there’s a deadline in three months, break it down into two-week intervals.

The piece adds the endeavor should encourage creativity and managers should “celebrate successes along the way.”

Yes, you read that right!

Maybe you’re always the one burning the midnight oil on deadline at the office while one of your colleagues, ahem a slacker, sneaks in and out of the office for long lunches while no one notices.

Well, this piece on Forbes made us take notice.

Granted, it’s meant to be tongue in cheek so it’s not exactly like we’re endorsing loafing at the office. Sometimes we all need a splash of sense of humor to get us through the work week. This being one of them. Read more

We know this time of year too well. Summer’s coming to a close fast and furiously and who would really notice if you sneak out of the office closer to 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. instead of 6, right? Or how about calling in sick to jet to the beach instead?

According to a piece on Fortune, just as it’s tempting for employees to mentally check out during down time, imagine how tempting it is for managers who need to set a good example!

As such, there are four ways for managers to keep their noses to the grindstone (or at least appear like they’re still focused). Read more

Sure, you may have been known to peek at your mobile device during a meeting but guess what? It could really get on your manager’s nerves.

So, what if you’re that manager trying to run an efficient meeting, only to look around the conference table and see the tops of everyone’s heads looking down? Read more

At some point or another, the odds are against us. That is, we’re bound to end up with a bad boss. Someone who doesn’t recognize our hard work, someone who is unethical or if we’re really unlucky, a combination of both (along with several other negative characteristics).

Well, as Rebecca Thorman writes in a new post on U.S. News & World Report, there are a few strategies to come out ahead, no matter how lousy the situation.

1. Stay positive and perform. As difficult as it may be, you still need to be the best at your job, day in, day out. She points out in the piece, “Your boss can’t complain if you’re doing everything right with a positive attitude to boot. Plus, you’ll feel better by taking pride in your work. You actually contribute to the negative work environment around you when you whine and moan. Show your value and work ethic instead.”

2. Flip it upside down: Look at the challenge as a learning opportunity. That’s right, a challenge in this case becomes an opportunity to grow, to learn, to survive and consequently thrive. Sure, it would be awesome to only have to work with people we like but alas, that’s not the way the world works. Difficult people will cross our paths sooner or later. Read more