For so many creative businesses, particularly those with significant seasonality, there is an effort to get to the next and the next without really stopping to debrief, discuss and regroup. To be analogous to athletics, to study the film and learn from what just happened.
Check out this video from The Blue Angels. Yes, it is dated, but look at what they do. Grateful to be here. Grateful to be alive. Grateful to be part of the team. Grateful to have the freedom to speak my mind without repercussion. Then, with all military formality they rip each other (and themselves) to shreds. Hey, if you are flying at 500 mph 36 inches (18 inches today) apart, you better make sure you are all on the same page.
So what are you doing to have a look at what you were able to accomplish with your latest project. With a nod to David Stark, and what he spoke of on his Wedding Biz Podcast, looking at the project just to see what could be done better is not nearly enough. No, the work is to discuss what was accomplished (or not) within the context of your values as a creative business sure, but artist first and foremost. What is it that you stand for and how did you carry out the integrity of your vision.
There are three layers of debrief to contemplate: internal, partners and client.
Internal — that is The Blue Angels — how did your team do? Were you true to your process? Did everybody appreciate the value of each step and feel confident that the journey was yours to contemplate and execute? If there was a breakdown, how did you get back on track? What could you do to better convey what is most important to your creative business in an unexpected and supportive way? Yes, find your way to being better starting with the idea that you are already the best in the world.
Partners — It takes a village to complete a creative endeavor. You are going to have to rely on others to find success. The question is how are you going to approach those you serve or are served by as to how you will each be better? My suggestion: switch roles. There is no point in telling a partner how to do their job better as that is like a Blue Angels pilot telling another pilot how to fly the plane. Unnecessary. Instead, what would it be like if you were the upholsterer and they the designer? You the florist, they the planner? What would you have done differently given the experience you both just went through. If there are multiple players (as I am sure there are), sit around a table and randomly switch roles. The point is that you can learn so much if you are in another’s shoes and trying to solve their problems from the inside versus from the peanut gallery. Yes, partners want to keep relationships and most will go a long long way to maintain the relationship. True growth, however, comes from challenging each other to solve different problems. Your partners are your fresh eyes. Go there after every project and you will learn to see your world differently.
Clients — This is a tricky one. Asking clients what they think about their experience with you is a snake pit. The ones who were not thrilled will vent and the ones who are will serve platitudes. Neither will get you anywhere. Instead, interview those who have enjoyed your work with a client. Guests at a wedding, those who have seen your vision who are not your client. Of course, you run the risk that these people are not, in fact, your client and do not value what is most important to you as an artist and creative business owner. Most often though, these people can grasp why it is that you were hired by their friends/family member. From a place of appreciation about why you were hired, they can talk about what you did to fulfill your promise. How were THEY touched by what you did (or did not do)? What do they understand about what matters to you and why you are able to serve their friend/family member? What was missing? Take them to dinner, buy them coffee, be engaged with them in a casual way to receive their honest feedback. From here you can learn what is the message you are really sending about your art and how to communicate your message that much better.
Take the time to consider what matters after EVERY project. Your promise always is to be better tomorrow than you are today and to do just that you cannot ignore what yesterday has to teach you.
