Stepping into a new creative role can be disorienting.
Not knowing who to go for what information.
Or how to get things done in a way that excites everyone involved.
But there's a simple method you can use to become more quickly, and easily, acclimated to your environment.
Allowing for faster, and more accurate, decision making.
And a better creative output in the process.
Here's how to do it in 4 steps:
1. Observe
Take more time to watch what's going on around you.
Who is talking to who?
Do specific people seem to have more information than others?
How is everyone working together to get things accomplished?
Do there appear to be pain points that show up time and time again?
The more time you can spend at this stage the better.
2. Orient
Now that you've gotten a better understanding of your surroundings it's time to figure out which direction to face.
Where do your skills seem to fit within the broader creative environment you're in?
How can you best fill knowledge or skill gaps within the team around you?
This step is where you'll start to figure out where you fit in.
All while taking notes about resources you can use to help you along the way.
3. Decide
You took time to get a feel for what the situation around you looks like.
And figure out where you can best be of service.
Now it's time to get your priorities in line.
Based on where you'll be needed most start to put together a plan.
What projects need your focus first?
What small fires can be ignored for the time being?
What relationships do you need to get to work on building?
Here's where you gameplan.
4. Act
Your plan is in place.
And it's based off of tangible experiences around you.
You haven't started to work on things without understanding how that work fits into the bigger picture.
The only thing left to do?
Act.
And because you've made sure to put your creative energy in the right place it means that you're doing the work that truly matters.
How this is relevant for a:
Freelancer — It can be hard to step into a new project and hit the ground running. But it's necessary to make sure you've asked the relevant questions before moving in a specific direction. Here's how you can do it more efficiently!
Full-timer — Whether it's a new project or an entirely new role your ability to do the work that matters is based on how easily you can get acclimated to your new environment. Become the biggest expert in the room by following these steps.
Dabbler — You may not have worked with many other team members on creative projects before. And that's okay! We all start somewhere. Use these steps to better understand how your skills are best suited to a larger environment before putting energy into the work itself.
The Takeaway
Because we're all creative at heart...
And got into this type of work to make things...
It can be hard to pull back our excitement and explosive energy when jumping into a new project.
But taking more time to better understand the different forces at play can mean the difference between you being seen as an A player...
And someone that needs to be put on the bench.
