7 Creative Habits of A Highly Effective Virtual Podcast Team

Podcasting came along and the ripple effect is huge

7 Creative Habits of A Highly Effective Virtual Podcast Team

Clare McGinn, Creative Director, BBC Audio Creative Development Unit, UK

Building a happy and productive team - the BBC is 100 years old this year and we have been making radio for a long time.  Podcasting came along and the ripple effect is huge.  We have seen the changes happening - new opportunities, more diversity, new voices.  

12 in her virtual team and none of them have been in the same room at the same time, but it is the most creative and inspiring team Clare has worked with.

Purpose of Clare’s dept is to HATCH, MATCH and DISPATCH podcasts

Step 1: Build smartly

Find the best possible people, no matter where they are in the country.  The team covers pottery, fashion, DJs, and lots of different languages.  Building this team from around the UK that works together but apart.

Step 2: Happy

Set the mood and rules of engagement, you see people in their home space.  When we get together we always have a social aspect, we use different communication and we are clear about what is fun, what is supportive and we have worked really hard to make sure our way of working is mutually respective

Step 3: Produce

We have to deliver what we promise.  We research an generate ideas, it used to be that individual ideas worked on their own ideas but now we work as a team

Step 3: Creative

Look at creation and not the result.  Look at the technology and the message as well as other things.  Looking at the visual as well as the audio, and how we present ourselves to others.

Step 5: Development

Of people and ideas, not just partnerships.  We develop people’s talents and the team

Step 6: Podcasting

Be aware of what is in the podcast world - sometimes be a magpie.  Go beyond our comfort zone.  

Step 7 - Team to team

Outreach and development, we still need to get the message to other people and connect with them.  Development is not about ego, the buzz comes from being creative with people.

Look at Disney, he may not be everyone’s favourite person but he invested a lot in new people and looked for the creative spark.  It might not be people who fit the traditional way of accessing the BBC

There is so much to learn from people in the podcasting world and rules are being broken.