Being "Creative" in a Corporate Environment

The word "creative" can mean many different things in a corporation. Most people are trying their damnedest to be as creative as possible and most are not unless you include animation in PowerPoint.

The "creative" we're discussing is the type that can make the rest of the company think you're the weird artsy guy (or girl) that hangs out worrying about things like fonts, RGB values, and pixel-by-pixel alignment. Creativity in a more traditional art-based sense.

This type of creativity is your biggest asset (as if you weren't already aware of that) and, at the same time, your biggest weakness. It makes you different from the others and you like that. They're not so sure.

So to be successful in that corporate environment, do something different from your norm--learn the business. This is important enough that I'll say it again--learn the business. Most creatives take a perfunctory swipe at understanding their business by learning just enough to enable them to develop good design. That's not enough and will cement the stereo-typical ideal of a creative person as someone "special" with a talent that is necessary but not critical. Go farther.

Understand what motivates the rest of the company. Grasp the meaning of the numbers. Yes, numbers. See how you acquire customers, keep them and interact with them. Know what a P&L is and the model your business employs. And, for god's sake, use whatever it is your company does. This isn't a "nice-to-have", it's a "must-do".

Beyond being a heckuva lot more saavy, you'll be a lot more "creative".

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