Do you find managing your team of Creatives and Freelancers difficult, unproductive and time-consuming? That’s probably because you’re doing it the wrong way! Creative work is not a linear, straight-forward process, and you need to be conscious of this fact.

Here are 6 steps to follow when next you collaborate with designers, writers, artists, and other creative individuals.

1) Find a Good Match

If you need to collaborate with a freelancer on an upcoming project and aren’t sure where to look, then consider posting your project on eWorker. After posting your job, take the time to carefully look through the portfolios of potential candidates and evaluate if they will be a good fit for your project. Ask yourself, how can their previous experience be useful for your current needs?

Related: What if OUTSOURCING is the Biggest Growth Hack of 2016?

2) Write a Detailed Brief

The quality of your brief goes a long way when it comes to working with Creatives and Freelancers! If your brief is hastily written with incomplete ideas and vague suggestions, don’t be disappointed when the work you get back isn’t what you envisioned. Creatives do not have mind-reading skills; if you have a clear idea of what you want, spell it out! A strong brief will guide the work from the very first draft to the last, and will provide a structure for the scope of work. You can’t suddenly suggest a new direction on draft 3; you need to stick to what you agreed on in the original brief.

3) Give feedback promptly

Be it positive encouragement or constructive criticism, your feedback needs to be delivered quickly to keep the momentum of the project going. Late feedbacks will only delay timelines, create uncertainty and lead to general frustration – and also jeopardise your chances of working with this person in the future!

4) Be Specific and avoid subjective terms

Avoid the use of terms like ‘good’ and ‘bad’ – these are not productive or useful terms for moving ahead. Subjective statements do not give the creative any sense of direction on how to proceed. You need to be specific with what you want to see more of (and less of) in the next draft. Leave out your personal taste, and think about the overall goal of the piece of work being created.

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5) Ask questions around the work

Don’t immediately resort to phrases like ‘I like it’ or ‘I don’t like it,’ as this won’t foster a productive dialogue around the work. Ask the designer/writer/creator about their thought process behind their creation; give them space to explain themselves. By asking questions about the work, you will also encourage the creative to dig deeper into their own design, and inspire them in new ways for subsequent drafts.

6) Respect is reciprocal!

Always remember the golden rule: treat others as you wish to be treated. If you receive a first draft that’s not up to your standards, remember that behind this work is hours of valuable time, effort and creative thought. So stay positive, because negativity will hinder the progress of your project.