The Producer’s Guide to Setting the Stage for Success, Part 2
As a producer, you’re often the glue holding a project together, but that also means you're the one people turn to when tensions rise. Creative disagreements are part of the deal when you work with passionate, talented teams. The trick is knowing when to step in to help and when to let things breathe.
Creative tension isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, it can push a project to a better place. But when back-and-forth turns into a stalemate, it’s time to jump in, not to take sides, but to guide the conversation. I once had a project where the Creative Director and a Designer were locked in a tug-of-war over how a show’s opening sequence should animate. It was getting tense, and progress had stalled. Rather than choosing a winner, I asked them to walk me through why they felt strongly about their approaches. Once we brought it back to what the client needed and who the audience was, the solution became clear and better than either original idea. That only happened because we focused the conversation on solutions, not egos.
When you need to play mediator, start by letting everyone speak. Make sure each person gets to explain their thinking fully before offering up suggestions. Then, refocus the discussion on what the project actually needs. What’s going to serve the client? What supports the goals? And don’t forget to remind the team that this isn’t a competition—it’s a collaboration.
Of course, not every disagreement is a crisis. In fact, some friction is just part of the creative process. Learning which debates need your hand and which ones don’t is a big part of the job. Earlier in my career, I tried to fix every disagreement. It was exhausting and, honestly, not helpful. Now, I ask myself a few questions before jumping in. Does this affect the timeline or budget? Will it significantly impact the final product? Is the person pushing for this usually pretty flexible? If the answer to those is mostly “no,” it’s probably safe to let the team work it out. Sometimes, giving someone the space to own a small creative choice, even if it’s not exactly how you’d do it, can go a long way in building trust and morale.
Great producers aren’t micromanagers. They’re facilitators, guides, and vibe-setters. Your job isn’t to make every decision—it’s to help the right decisions get made. Know when to step in. Know when to step back. And always keep the team focused on the bigger picture. When done well, you’re not just solving problems—you’re preventing them from happening in the first place.
