As Bob Sutton and Huggy Rao posit in their new book “The Friction Project”, some activities just take more time than others and are inherently inefficient, but that inefficiency is integral to the process. They specifically point to the creative process as one of those time-consuming activities.
But don’t take their word for it. When you get freaked out over going over your assigned LOE or level of effort (the time you’re given to complete a task) reflect on this quote from comedian extraordinaire Jerry Seinfeld who says, “When it comes to comedy, the hard way is the right way; there is no natural way to make it efficient.” Jerry and team will go through hundreds of options for good lines with only a few making the cut.
Sound familiar? The iterative process is essential to creating great creative AND it’s inefficient. Now truth be told, there are lower-tier lower-complexity assignments that an in-house team should be able to bang out pretty quickly like repurposing existing assets. But not all projects are created equal regardless of what the beancounters say, so those strategic assignments will take longer to pull through.
The irony is that companies expect innovation from their in-house agencies but often impose efficiency mandates that short-circuit the very innovation they’re expecting.
The rub is educating upper management of this reality. Try leveraging the work of Harvard professor Teresa Amabile. She notes, “Moreover, creativity often takes time. It can be slow going to explore new concepts, put together unique solutions, and wander through the maze. Managers who do not allow time for exploration or do not schedule in incubation periods are unwittingly standing in the way of the creative process.” If the MBAs won’t listen to an accomplished business academic then start looking for another gig.
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