Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Childhood, Culture, Education, Fatherhood, Parents
I recently read an interview with ex-England Rugby Captain, Will Carling.
It’s a fascinating interview because in some ways, Will was David Beckham before even David Beckham.
Young.
Handsome.
Talented.
Successful.
A glamorous wife.
A media ‘celebrity’.
But in addition to this, he also faced incredibly scrutiny, destructive rumours and the wrath of the media for acts – as we learn in the interview – that were simply not true.
For example he was labelled as money obsessed as he would do public speaking … but what was not discussed was that it was his only source of income as he gave up his well-paid job at Mobil so he could concentrate on his [amateur] rugby fulltime.
But the most telling part of the interview – and the readers comments underneath it – is how he was sent away to boarding school at the age of 6.
SIX.
Separated from his parents to live in a dormitory, surrounded by other boys – many much older than him – all on his own.
The most heartbreaking part of the interview is this:
“Every night during those first weeks I would go into a ball at the bottom of the bed. You didn’t want anyone to hear you crying. It was unbelievably lonely.”
Otis is 5.
The thought of choosing to send him away … to see him maybe once a year … is beyond my comprehension.
It is, in my opinion, an act of utter cruelty.
The psychological damage to the child must be incredible … which may go some way to explaining why people like Boris Johnson and mob have this compulsion to be popular and can lie without hesitation.
Maybe it’s less they’re just out and out bad … and more the methods they learnt to survive from being sent to live in a boarding school at an age where no kid should be separated from their family, friends or home.
The fact there are places of ‘education’ that are OK with letting kids from the age of 6 not see their parents for months on end makes me so angry and reinforces my view that so much private education is designed to create complicity rather than individuality.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t know who Will Carling is.
Or if you don’t have kids.
Or if you hate rugby.
It’s a fascinating article about success, family, media, team mates and integrity and I am sure you will come out of it realising that the toughest men are hiding the most brutal pasts.
You can read it here.
Filed under: Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Communication Strategy, Context, Creativity, Culture, Emotion, Empathy, Equality, Fulfillment, Loyalty, Management, Planning, Relevance, Resonance
Great advertising ideas – like any form of success – tend to have a thousand authors.
Of course, we all play a part in the journey to something being awesome, but it’s fair to say some play a bigger part than others.
What makes me laugh is when people who had nothing to do with the work suddenly – and publicly – start associating with it.
Not just in terms of being employed by the same company, but in having some magical, pivotal role … even though when the spotlight turns off, they’re back to their usual obstacle-creating, idea-destroying self.
But there’s something worse than that …
It’s the people who were pivotal in developing the idea but are not acknowledged for it.
They tend to be young teams …
Too junior to feel they can say something, surrounded by people who think this is just part of the right of passage.
And it is. But it shouldn’t be.
For me, this is where management need to take responsibility.
Ensure their people share the spotlight.
Let them enjoy the feeling of doing something good.
Make sure they understand the responsibility they have, not just the glory.
But too often that is not what happens …
Too often, they see their manager take the credit – and while they definitely played a role in helping their team play to that level – the real rewards should be saved for those who did the work, rather than those who happened to be in the same room when the work was being made.
A friend of mine has recently experienced this.
Ideas dismissed, then slightly rephrased by another, more senior person, to take the praise and credit.
And the people around them all knew it was happening but they let it continue happening.
“It’s just their way” they say.
“They made it better” they claim.
What makes it even worse is the reality of the situation soon gets forgotten and it’s the person who claimed the work who gets placed on a pedestal for all the great things that happened.
Leaving the originator behind.
Wondering what the fuck just happened. Questioning their ability and talent. Losing their confidence to keep going.
I’ve seen it happen.
I’ve seen it not that long ago.
Hell, I’ve had it happen to me … and when I stood up to the person doing it, I got in trouble with my then boss for being a ‘disruptive force’.
This taught me a valuable lesson – reinforced by some of the amazing leaders I’ve had the privilege of working with – and that is the true value of management is ultimately defined by how well the team does.
Not personally.
But collectively.
And by well, I mean in terms of the work that is created, rather than the documents written.
Don’t get me wrong, decks have an important role to play – but I’ve seen far too many managers only care that their ‘bit’ goes down well with the client, forgetting if it doesn’t help those around them get to better, more intriguing or provocative work, it’s nothing more than self-serving vanity.
Which is why I believe a managers role is to create an environment that lets their people be vulnerable, audacious, experimental and exploratory … as well as forging a culture that ensures the team feels backed, supported, acknowledged and pushed – rather than ignored, misled or stolen from.
And if they do that, then they’re doing their job.
Not a great job. Just their job.
Please do not mistake this as condescending compliments at all agency meetings.
Nor patronising pats on the back at team get-togethers.
I mean they actively fight for the career development of their team individually and as a whole.
Not just money or title or promotion …
But exposure, experience, possibilities and opportunities. So when a member of the team leaves – and everyone does at some point – they get a job that is better than they ever imagined they’d get.
One where they’re hired for how they look at the world rather than just filling a position.
Now you don’t get this easy. People have to earn it. They have to graft for it. They have to have awareness about what they’re doing and where they’re at.
But if they do that, the least a manager can do in return is back them, support them and push them on every step of their journey … even when they fuck up.
Which they will do at some point, because we all do.
And frankly, if they don’t … then they’re not trying hard enough.
The young of this industry are often used as cannon fodder.
Run to exhaustion.
Given huge demands.
And while not everyone will be the same in terms of skills, ability or outlook (which is a good thing or you’ve got a department of one dimensional robots) … they all need to be protected, nurtured and supported, because the future of this industry will be built on the standards and experiences we pass on to those we are responsible for, rather than leaving them to fend for themselves with all that they do.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Authenticity, Comment, Confidence, Content, Context, Creative Brief, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Emotion, Empathy, Home, Honesty, Insight, Mischief, Planners, Point Of View, Pretentious Rubbish, R/GA, Relevance, Research, Resonance
When I was at R/GA, I hired this brilliant planner called Joel.
It was weird how we met because it all started at a Google Firestarter meeting I was talking at.
At the end of my presentation, it was opened up to the audience for questions.
I couldn’t see who was asking anything as the lights from the stage were shining straight into my eyes. Anyway, there was one question that shone out from the rest of the questions of the night – basically challenging the London bubble of planning – and while I didn’t know who asked it, I wanted to find who did to say I liked it.
Alas I never found out who did.
A few days later, I got a message on LinkedIn from the person who asked the question.
His name was Joel.
I invited him for a coffee later that week and suddenly the person who asked the best question of the night was asking the best questions of the day.
But what made them extra good was he wasn’t doing it to show off or stand out, he was doing it because he was interested in the topics and interested to hear my perspective.
We talked about his background, his ambitions and then he did the one thing that almost guaranteed I wanted to hire him.
He called comprehensive school, ‘big school’.
BIG SCHOOL.
I hadn’t heard that since I was a kid in Nottingham and immediately I loved Joel for it. Because for all the time he had spent in London, he had not lost his Bradford realness … and then it became clear why he asked the question about the London bubble, why he was asking questions why culture rarely reflected how marketing department express it and why was the ad industry more interested in convenience than authenticity.
How could I not hire someone like that?
So I did.
And he never disappointed because apart from being culturally, creatively and strategically talented – with an obsessive focus on what life is really like for people, especially outside of London rather than the cliched, London bullshit a lot of marketing likes to portray – his greatest trait was he always wanted to learn.
Always.
Now don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t always the model student … he would push back, he would challenge, he would question … but what he doesn’t know is that was when I was the happiest working with him, because it meant he was believing his words rather than just following others.
And while we always have to be careful we don’t blindly think whatever we believe is the right answer, having confidence and conviction in your gut and your talent is an often underplayed, undervalued, under-encouraged skill in a strategist … which is why I was so happy to see when I left R/GA, Joel had a mug made with my face and my words on it.
Not because he missed my ugly face and lack of vocabulary, but to remind him to trust his smarts, his instincts and his authenticity … but never to be a prick about it.
If I was proud of him before. I am even prouder of him now.
Today is September 11, a date that will live on in history.
It’s a day I certainly will never forget.
I was living in Australia at the time and just stared at the TV in despair as the horror unfolded.
But for some people in my life, what happened that day was even much more personal and destructive.
One was a wonderful client of mine who lost their sister in the tragedy.
The others were Andy and Dave … my ex-cynic colleagues and regular commentators.
We don’t talk much about what they went – and still are – going through anymore, but I know it tested them in ways few people will, thankfully, never have to experience. However while they have somehow been able to deal with the pain and pick up the pieces to somehow keep moving forwards, I know today will thrust an assortment of memories and questions on them – memories and questions from before that day and memories and questions from that day – so I just want them to know I’m thinking of them, sending them hugs, letting them know I’m so glad they’re in my life.
Even with the insults.
Love you gentlemen. [OK, blokes]
And love to all the families who were – and continue to be – affected on this day.
Filed under: America, Attitude & Aptitude, Australia, Black Lives Matter, Comment, Culture, Diversity, Education, Empathy, Loyalty, Peace, Police, Prejudice, Racism, Relevance, Resonance, Social Commentary, Social Divide
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a police officer.
I was OBSESSED with becoming a police officer.
I read books. I talked to the coppers on the street. I looked up to them literally and metaphorically.
And while I absolutely believe the Police do an important job that is often undervalued, I also think the system they are made to operate in encourages behaviour that is not representative of the values and standards we have all been told they follow.
That is not a justification for wrongdoing – if they do the crime, then they should experience the full force of the law with absolutely no leniency whatsoever – however as police wrongdoing is happening on such a consistent basis all around the World, it does suggest the environment they are being asked to work within, is contributing to the situation in some way.
Which is why I found this comment on twitter interesting …
Now, I would imagine it was said with mischief in the eye … but there is truth in it.
Because where the Police are supposed to protect us, they have evolved into something that often feels more about controlling us … often for the good of the wealthy or the powerful.
I can’t imagine how difficult the job is … it must be a thankless task, especially with government leaders encouraging them to execute aggressive action rather than community integration … but something is obviously broken deep within.
Are all Police bad?
Of course not, just like criminals don’t follow the cultural or economic stereotypes the media, government and white people like to present us with.
And while blaming individuals or entire groups of people may make us feel better … safer … superior … more in control … the reality is so much of what goes on is because of the systemic and institutionalised systems so many people have to live and work within. Until that is accepted, investigated and fundamentally changed – rather than brushed aside as some sort of ‘liberal nonsense’ – we’re going to continue experiencing this pain, and quite frankly too many people have needlessly died and too many families have been needlessly destroyed to not accept there is a problem.
However much that puts the people in control in fear.
However much that shines a light on what we’ve all been complicit in creating.
However much that means governments become scared of the people rather than vice versa.
