Purposeful Curiosity by Constantine Andriopoulos

Author:Constantine Andriopoulos [Constantine, Dr. Andriopoulos]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hachette Books
Published: 2022-10-25T00:00:00+00:00

Encourage Comfort in Stretch

Fashion designer Mary Katrantzou was born in Athens, Greece, and initially attended the Rhode Island School of Design, in Providence, to pursue a bachelor’s degree in architecture.20 Her degree offered a semester at another university abroad. The only course that was available in London, where she wanted to be, was one in textile design at Central Saint Martins (CSM).21 Seduced by the opportunity to channel her talent in a different creative field, Katrantzou made the leap and fully transferred to CSM. “I had heard so much about Louise Wilson, the professor who runs the MA [master of art] in fashion course and the incredible people who had come out of the course,” she told me.22 Katrantzou was so successful in the course, her fashion design work was chosen to open the CSM graduate show.

“Naively, after I finished my master’s, I applied for NewGen funding from the British Fashion Council,” she said. “I got the sponsorship and put together fifteen shift dresses not really believing that they would generate sales.”23 They were a hit. Katrantzou launched her eponymous fashion label in London in 2008 and has since received several prestigious awards. Her work has been exhibited at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Her designs have been worn by the likes of Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, and Naomi Campbell and are carried by more than one hundred retailers around the globe.24

To maintain the curiosity and enthusiasm of her team, Katrantzou constantly asks questions, challenges herself and the team members, and plays devil’s advocate for anything the team voices. “It’s a very democratic approach in terms of questioning everything, and I think it leads to meaningful conversations,” she said.25

Other entrepreneurs agree with the notion that stretching boundaries makes dynamic teams. Sam Bompas, from the London-based avant-garde experiential food company Bompas & Parr, told me, “The things my team will say they are most proud of are the bits that they have literally been crying in the studio about or when they said, ‘This is too much. I can’t do anymore.’ Six months later, they will say those difficult challenges are the ones they care the most about. Over time, we’re trying to grow everyone, so giving them more difficult projects within a framework where they feel stretched but not overly pressured is key so that they don’t get bored or become so stressed that they leave. Luckily, I am in a team that is small enough that I can speak to everyone and find out what they are working on, and how they are doing with it.”26

There is a thin line between challenging people and creating a culture of fear and insecurity. Team members must feel challenged by their working environment but not threatened by the fear of losing control. The level of uncertainty that surrounds curious teams must be counterbalanced by encouragement for them to gradually develop a belief in themselves and their work. They must feel safe.

Moving between the

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