#59 Pull out your college portfolio now and then. Celebrate the ways you have evolved and remember where you came from.

On those days where you feel frustrated, uninspired or just plain stumped…grab your college portfolio and take a trip down memory lane. Revisit all those pieces that you, at that time, deemed your best work. These were the examples of the work with which you were going to impress your employer, get you your dream job and catapult into Communication Arts.

Now look at them through a critical eye. See how far you have come, what you have learned since then, how you have grown, changed and improved. Better yet, have everyone else bring in their books and talk, laugh and grow as a group. (Oh yeah, bring in your interns too, they need to know things usually only get better.)

#58 Pull back from the desk and use a No. 2 pencil and eraser now and then. Feel like a designer, artist, & kid again by sketching everything.

As a design student, the first thing I was taught was to sketch out my ideas. To draw the words and descriptions of the concept. To use my sketchpad constantly. And today, the first thing I say to our interns is, “Sketch.” If the designers are stumped, I tell them to go back and sketch. It’s an integral part of our process in the studio. Unfortunately though, when we are busy, it can also be one of the first things to go.

Like us, you know that visualizing your thought process is crucial, but do you still sketch? The bottom line is that we have to make time. I sometimes find myself sketching my to-do list or people I need to call. Or maybe while watching TV or on my lunch napkin. Make it a priority to set aside some pencil and paper time at the beginning of each project. No matter what your role is, remember to sketch.

Here is a video and a cool book to check out for inspiration. What do you think? Any cool sketches to share?

#57 Dream about where you want to go, by making job descriptions for the future. For you & your team, even if they don’t exist…yet

I’m a big fan of writer C.S. Lewis. And one of his quotes that I reflect on often is ” We are what we believe we are.” This couldn’t be more true when it comes to your business. Whether you are a one person firm to 30+, having the right perception and future image of your company and career is a key component to growth.

One tactic to help you plan ahead is by writing job descriptions for you, your team and even the employees you haven’t met yet. Every year I take some time to review our team members, and I write how I would like to see their jobs evolve. Then I write job descriptions of the type of people I would ideally like to have on the team in the future. (Dream big - what if money and clients weren’t an issue?) I also look at my job, review what I have been doing, and write a description for myself as well.

This has helped me in several ways. First, it allows me a chance to dream about the company or my career. It helps me see what things we are doing well and where we can improve. Secondly, it will helps me see if the direction we’re going is a direction I like. Are we doing the type of work that we love? If not, how do we get there? Third, it helps identify key employees and their value to the company. Conversely, it highlights the employees you may need to replace or help grow.

As a manager or leader of your team this simple exercise helps you get a perspective and set goals. It makes you aware of the path you are on and how to adjust it for future success. It allows you to celebrate and dream of the future and show you areas you may need to calibrate and make some hard decisions.

Take the time to do this exercise and it will give you a road map of your company’s future.

#56 Hand write a thank you letter to a client, friend or mentor. Emails are great, but taking time for that personal message is a lost art.

When I was a kid, my grandma would send me a handwritten card on every major holiday. I usually would open it up, wiggle it for any loot to fall out and skim the handwriting. I took those special, handcrafted words, meant just for me, for granted. What I realize now, that I didn’t know then, is that the best part of those cards was not the dinero, but the time and the thought she put into it. So now when I get a card that is handwritten I stop and actually read it. I realize every time I open up a handwritten business or personal note how much I appreciate the experience of reading a letter. So next time you need to send a thank you letter or some other correspondence for business or someone important to you, take time for the personal touch. It will make much more impact than being 1 of the 300 emails your recipient has piled in his or her inbox. (And if the card is for Grandma…take your time; she’ll love it.)

Here are some of our favorite card resources: Hammerpress or Three Potato Four or Snow and Graham. What are yours?

#55 Regularly review student portfolios whether you are hiring or not. Great way to stay connected, help grow community & even be inspired.

Typically we are trying to encourage cutting things out of a schedule but we all can remember how important it was to get professional feedback. Being able to see what a real design firm looks like, get interview and presentation practice, and the humbling denial. But there is also a great opportunity on the other side of the table..and that is sharing your experience from design, business and life. Being able to point young designers in the right direction, help them make connections or teaching them about the business is a huge contribution that you can make (We will talk later about how to give a great interview).

I’m not one that believes in Karma, but I do believe if you do what you can for others good things happen in return. Whatever your reason, one of the best is realizing that YOU have a lot of knowledge. Advice. Guidance. Support. Sharing it sure feels good, and you never know you may just be inspired on the youthful energy, creative thinking and possibly introduced to new technologies or ways of doing things.

So when time is seemingly nonexistent, think about taking a break now and then and rapping with the future leaders of our profession.

#54 Keep image/video gadgets handy for inspiring shots, recording a thought or just to have an excuse to be creative. Love this: http://tr.im/j52k

I love working with images, whether it’s shooting stills or recording video. If you’re like me, the biggest issue we’re faced with is finding the time to shoot like we used to. It wasn’t until I bought my iPhone and got a FLIP camera that I started shooting more, or at least I’m trying to. Carrying these items around has become quite fun!  I might see something in a store that I just love, a cool ad, or a funny scene - anything that jumps out at me as I go through my day - and now I take a quick snapshot or record my thoughts about what I’m seeing. Then, I can go and look back at that moment and capture the inspiration that originally hit me. Since I’m often running at a hectic pace, the inspiration would have been lost had I not captured it at that moment. Plus, it’s just plain fun having something handy to record with. I’ve tinkered with starting some type of video blog or an iPhone gallery…and I just might. Until then, I’ll start by keeping my inspirations on these handy little items.

What do you use?  Any samples?  Come on, don’t be shy…I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.

#53 Create education tune-ups by watching demo podcasts or videos. Or, do a quick group project to learn technology or techniques together.

It seems like every few months, one of our software products is being updated, or a popular new technique is discovered that is important for productivity. Fortunately, there are a ton of resources online that can be utilized, from Adobe to various podcasts. To get everyone up to speed, have your employees watch important presentations individually or as a group. Additionally, if you make time for them to learn during work hours, it shows your seriousness for continued education. However, if it’s a struggle time-wise during business hours, you can set up a company sponsored early morning breakfast and ask your staff to come in an hour early once or twice a month to brush up. You can make it mandatory, too.

During a project a designer may learn a Photoshop shortcut, Illustrator style, or new technique. Have them teach others in the company so they aren’t the only ones that can do it, but more importantly, to further everyone’s education. This would also be a great lunch and learn (see #52).

How do you encourage continuing education or staying on top of technology?

#52 Take time to learn from each other. Have regular lunch & learns and have someone on your team present about subjects that matter to them.

I constantly observe my team as they talk about things outside of our jobs. You’d be amazed at the insight you can gain listening to your employees talk about the latest book, TV show, movie, cool web site or social media tool, trends, celebrity break-up, social event or volunteer project. Often, our schedule is too hectic to have in-depth conversations and really dig-in to each other’s interests. But, it’s important to us. So, we schedule a monthly lunch to share our latest interests and hobbies with each other. This provides a great opportunity to launch discussions and learn about various topics that otherwise might go un-discussed. As a manager, you get to hear and learn more about what makes your team tick. You give others a chance to be the center of attention, work on presentation skills, learn new technologies, or simply take the lead. There are no limits to presentation methods – it could be as simple as coloring in a coloring book as a group, doing a craft project together, playing Play-Doh, or learning exercise and relaxation techniques that be used during the workday.

Whatever the size of your firm, be sure to schedule time to talk about stuff other than the subjects of your normal day. If you are a sole-proprietor, get some buddies together quarterly and do it – maybe over video chat. How you do it is not the important part. Learning and sharing knowledge is the key.

Try it, and tell us how it goes!

#51 Issue additional titles for employee initiatives like SMO - Social Media Officer - to encourage ownership and get things done.

As your firm grows or responsibilities change, you will soon find you can’t do everything. And sadly, it is easy to let things slip when you have plenty of work or you’re out trying to drum up new biz. We’ve found that the best way to keep information flowing and stay on top of things that are important is by aligning those tasks with others interests. For example, we have a designer who is very concerned and committed to getting us to be more ‘green’. So recently, the “Green Diva” took the lead. We talked about what goals I wanted and she related the things she was interested in. In a year’s time, we had an internal intranet with green terms and a checklist for our work. We began recycling more and developed goals and steps to reduce our carbon footprint. In addition, the “Green Diva” alerted me to talks, websites, resources and organizations we could join to raise awareness, support and follow-through.

This same result is happening with our social media footprint. We delegate responsibility for the various sites we’re on to different people depending on their area of interest. This way, we stay up to speed as participants, but also know about updates and changes that we can bring back to our clients.

Now, this all still takes time. You have to plan and be purposeful. But with a little practice and communication with your team, you can make it happen. If it’s just you alone, assign some of these responsibilities to days of the week or times of the day. Trust me, with some planning and discipline, it is possible.

#50 Intern programs provide the ability to give back, stay current, see diff approach, teach, challenge yourself & always have fresh coffee.

When I was a junior, I worked as an intern for 30 days. I felt like I learned more in those 30 days than I did in 3 years of school. I promised myself that if I was ever in the position to provide that experience for someone else, I was going to do it. I’ve kept that promise, and I’ve discovered that internships are one of the best ways for me to teach, expand my own art directing, and help foster the future leaders of the design field. I’ve also learned to face the challenge of communicating with students who don’t know what they don’t know. You know?

Having students in the studio also inspires us to ask different questions than we normally might, and at times, try things we typically wouldn’t try – because sometimes that exploratory instinct gets lost. Overall, internships can be a really great part of your studio, giving you that extra boost of energy that comes from teaching and listening to a younger creative. But like anything, the more prepared you are, the better. Take it seriously. Have a job description. If you’re going to really put them to work, then pay them something. And in all honesty, have them get you coffee or run an errand for you now and then. It sounds silly, but I truly believe that younger generations have developed this horrible sense of entitlement. A little humility or humbling now and then will prepare them for the upcoming reality of what we all face when presenting our ideas and living our design life.

Have you had any internship pros or cons? Do you have any additional tips or advice?

PS: I wrote a similar post for the Notes on Design blog - read that here.