DBA Members’ Forum | March Summary

• Measuring productivity in the creative industries is complex, while traditional KPIs and OKRs are useful to see how we’re doing, over-monitoring can stifle creativity and make people feel they are under surveillance.
• There’s no need to reinvent how you measure productivity – simple tools like weekly surveys with just two key questions can provide valuable insights without overcomplicating matters.
• Creativity thrives on both structured and unstructured time. Routines matter, and Alex highlighted the importance of layering deep work sessions (90-mins to 2-hours) with 30-minute breaks whether a walk or a bit of gardening – to allow for reflection. This balance increases the chances of generating fresh ideas.
• As leaders, we need to strike the right balance between where we do our best creative work and be more thoughtful about how we design good routines that enable individuals to thrive.
• Creating an environment that gets the best from people means balancing individual agency with clear expectations. Setting core in-office times for collaboration – rather than scheduling unnecessary meetings – helps teams work more effectively together.
• Efficiency gains, through automation or AI tools, should create space for deeper thinking rather than simply making room for more tasks.
• Meetings should have a clear purpose and an agenda and while AI tools like Otter or Fathom can capture notes, writing things down remains a powerful way to follow through. 
• Rest is critical – don’t wait until it’s forced upon you. Make time for breaks, use your holidays fully, and properly switch off. Investing in rest now will pay off in the long run.
• Alex’s book Work Less, Do More, explores how companies and individuals can better integrate rest, creativity, and focus into their work and lives – well worth a read if this resonates with you.

Coming up

There was much, much more covered in the hour. Our next meeting will be on Monday 7 April, 4-5pm BST where we’ll be joined by Mark Curtis, Head of Innovation and Thought Leadership at Accenture Song. Mark will take us through their latest Accenture Life Trends 2025 Report which highlights how people’s behaviours and attitudes are shifting in relation to the world around them and how these shifts are impacting our businesses.