“Teamwork makes the dream work” has had a very successful career in office stationery. The rest of us still need someone to define the job.
Creative people are people. Annoyingly.
A fast-moving agency needs ideas, energy and people who care. It also needs a way to handle hiring, leave, feedback, workload and the occasional conversation that nobody wants to start. Those things continue to exist even when the presentation looks excellent.
The point of structure is to make good work possible. People should know what they own, what is expected and where to go when something is wrong. Guessing the rules is a terrible use of creative energy.
Warmth and a spine can share an office.
My hiring note for HR asked for common sense, warmth, discretion and a spine. I stand by the combination. Listening properly matters. So does being able to say no without turning it into a LinkedIn essay about boundaries.
A useful people function helps the team deal with problems while they are still manageable. It protects private conversations, makes expectations explicit and handles a difficult moment without becoming an additional character in it.
The work needs a practical culture.
A healthy handover says what is finished, what is waiting and what could go wrong. Useful feedback explains the problem and the decision needed. A sensible plan makes room for the people delivering it. These are culture decisions, even if nobody puts them on a poster.
For someone joining evenflow in Bengaluru, the invitation is simple: bring judgement, craft and a willingness to work with other people. Good ideas can come from anywhere. Following through is everybody’s job.
We want structure that supports the personality of the place. The birthday cake can be a separate discussion. Preferably a shorter one.
Adapted for the evenflow Journal from Vipul Ganatra’s shared posts and reflections.