Business is all about balance. And by that, we mean the ratio between management and creative has to be 1:1. We’ve all shaken our heads at those artsy, creative brands that look great but have no real business model under the hood. But we do the same when we encounter those ultra-smart, innovative businesses whose marketing is so dry we don’t even bother to engage. At StellaPop, we think of these brands as “right-brain” (the Warhol) or “left brain” (the Spock) brands. All have promise. They just need to balance things out a bit by walking that middle line and becoming a “bridge brain” brand (the Da Vinci). Here’s how.
Left Brain vs. Right Brain: A Quick Refresher
You probably remember from high school psych or bio that the brain is divided into two hemispheres and that each of these hemispheres has its own particular specializations. The left side of our brain is home to our linear, logical thinking processes, while the right side deals with simultaneous processing: the creative stuff. While most people tend to be dominant on one side, those who tap into both sides equally often end up in the history books. See our man Da Vinci above.
The good news is that even if you’re naturally more creative or more logical by nature, there are ways of balancing out your brain. You can “train” your weaker side. Or you can tap into external resources to help shore up your capabilities.
Get Your Business Brain in Balance
Businesses can, and should, do the same thing because a brand that’s completely focused on marketing with no strategy to speak of is never going to be #1. Nor is one that’s only about the nuts and bolts, with no interest in branding, marketing, or advertising. A person that’s solely left-brained or solely right-brained can get away with being kooky or eccentric. Businesses, not so much.
To knock it out of the park as a business, your brand needs to commit to spending equal time and resources on management and creative. There’s no point dialing in those processes and strategies if you have no way of talking about them, just as there’s no reason to spend a fortune on a splashy ad campaign for a product that hasn’t been fully thought through.
Get those two halves of your business in balance, though, and you’re primed for the big time. Here’s how to get there.
- Integrate and coordinate. Don’t let your creative and management teams live in their respective silos. Creative should incorporate left-brained tasks like analytics, research, and strategic planning into their work. Management should understand branding, communication, and outreach. And both sides should also be looping each other in.
- Balance out your team. If certain groups or your team overall skews heavily towards the creative or management-minded, try to address this imbalance when hiring. Alternatively, seek to balance out teams and groups by encouraging collaboration or by looping in freelancers and consultants where relevant.
- Commit to brain balance. Shifting the pendulum away from left or right and towards balance can mean a major cultural change for some organizations. Change comes from the top, so promote brain balance from the top down, and show your commitment to the cause.
Get Your Business Brain In Gear
If your business is too heavily skewed towards management or creative and needs help rebalancing for maximal success, drop us a line. At StellaPop, we specialize in helping businesses elevate both their left-brain and right-brain capabilities – for Da Vinci-esque results. Get in touch!
See Also:
Lessons from the Queen’s Gambit: Going on the Offense to Take Your Business Forward
Legacy Brands vs. Digitally Native Brands: What They Can Learn from Each Other
Creativity and Collaboration: How to Develop a Creative Team Environment
