Artful Making: What Managers Need to Know About How Artists Work

mechanism territory. Kranz could brusquely redirect the focus

of his group because he had earned the team’s respect.

In many smoothly operating creative groups, focus is con-

trolled, but not by any particular member of the group, not

even the director/manager. The group may at times assign

rights to control focus to a leader like Kranz. But if they don’t

and the manager tries to take control, you either get a revolt,

like the one at Sun, or malicious compliance, which usually

involves what is sometimes called “soldiering,” or “gaming.”

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In a healthy ensemble, focus is organic, maintained in the

making process itself, which, being iterative, provides ...