Because talent is the ultimate resource of any creative enterprise, an organization committed to creative achievement must first be an organization committed to the identification and nurturing of talent. Talent is rare, hard to identify, and only moderately useful in its raw state.
To realize its full potential, those responsible for the success of the organization must provide talent with an environment that encourages creative pursuits. The most important element of such a talent-friendly environment is the presence of freedom.
Therefore, the managers of DDB Worldwide all strive to provide, within each agency’s structure, four freedoms to each individual.
FREEDOM FROM FEAR
Talent freezes in the grip of fear. The creative mind shuts down, constricting the natural flow of ideas. Fear is paralyzing beyond reason.
It is not the truth that people fear. Fear results from not knowing the truth. Fear is created by motives that are suspect, by decisions made in secret for which the basis is not fully disclosed, and by the arbitrary use of power by those who control an idea’s destiny.
Fear is created by intimidation. Management by intimidation has no place in our organization.
FREEDOM TO FAIL
It is in the very nature of creative talent to venture beyond the known — to poke into the unheard of — to pick through scary places untrod by conventional minds. Because there are no assurances that such creative forays will succeed, the explorers must be granted the freedom to fail in order to sustain their desire to venture forth again. It is the job of management to first point talented people in the right direction, then judge the value of their discoveries. But if the quest for the new is responsible and intelligent, talent must not be criticized for daring to fail.
FREEDOM FROM CHAOS
A degree of healthy ferment is required in any creative organization. But talent flounders in the chaos of uncertainty caused by management indecision, inconsistency, or vacillation. Talent requires benign discipline.
The talented mind may seem erratic, but it welcomes an understanding of responsibilities that is clear, yet roomy enough to permit the floating dream. These responsibilities must be well understood and freely agreed to by all parties before an individual joins our organization. Once committed, all parties must live up to the agreement. It is particularly important that all management actions and communications be consistent with the understanding.
FREEDOM TO BE
The first priority of an organization that depends on its people for success must be the well-being of every individual. Each has a right to be treated with dignity, to be encouraged and supported in his or her ambitions for higher achievement, and, to the extent possible, to be provided with a place where a career can grow in the direction of the individual’s own choosing. But beyond providing for professional growth, talented people must also be allowed to enjoy a life in which there is time for personal fulfillment, and for laughter and love and celebration.
