Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Collaboration, Colleagues, Communication Strategy, Confidence, Creativity, Culture, Effectiveness, Empathy, Equality, Fake Attitude, Fear, Harmony, Honesty, Loyalty, Management, Marketing, Marketing Fail, Music, Relationships, Reputation, Resonance, Respect, Trust
Following on from yesterday’s post, this is about the value of transparency.
Years ago, I wrote a post about a [then] new Police interrogation technique, which basically centered around empathetic transparency.
In essence, rather than use traditional tactics such as intimidation or ‘half-truths’ to obtain the information they wanted, they found transparency – without judgment – achieved much more positive results.
So, for example if someone asked if their actions were going to result in jail time, rather than give them the impression they will be OK if they hand over the information they want, they simply respond with the following:
“It is highly likely you will, but I will ensure the authorities are made aware of how you have helped us in this investigation”.
And then they actually ensure the authorities are made aware of how that person has helped in the investigation.
OK, it’s obviously more nuanced and complex than that … but the heart of this approach is the acknowledgement that people react more positively to truth than harmony.
And yet, despite this, harmony prevails in our lives.
+ We’ll keep your resume on file.
+ We’ll work with you in the future.
+ We like being pushed and challenged.
+ We will issue the payment this week.
+ We will introduce you to other companies.
There’s so many of these ‘daily’ statements of harmony going on in every office and company around the World … and while most are doing it because they want to avoid disappointing or hurting the other party, the problem is when it’s not true, it ends up creating bigger issues because people find out and then resentment cultivates and trust gets destroyed.
It’s why one of the greatest lessons I have ever learned came from the wonderful LTA of Wieden+Kennedy.
He said, “transparency is one of the greatest gifts you can ever give a client”.
That doesn’t mean you are a rude or selfish prick.
Nor does it mean you can act like a sledgehammer.
But it does mean you respect the other person enough to tell them the realities of the situation rather than the fantasy of it.
Not because you want to upset them or hurt them, but because you want to empower them …
To know where they stand.
To enable them to choose what to do next.
To own their situation rather than be owned by it.
And while you may all think this is just basic common-sense, in this age of toxic positivity it’s a pretty radical approach to commercial relationships.
But then, a lot of what we call relationships, aren’t these days are they?
More marriages of financial or outsourcing convenience.
Which may explain – as I wrote a few months ago – why one of my clients is so successful.
Because while relationships are at the heart of his business, not only does he understand they need to be mutually beneficial to encourage longevity, they need to be more than just convenience to be worthy of that label.
Put simply, relationships are built, not bought.
And the foundations of the best ones are always truth over harmony.
Filed under: Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Business, Collaboration, Comment, Community, Confidence, Consultants, Corporate Evil, Creativity, Culture, Mediocrity, Money, Respect, Revenge, Standards, Strategy
One of the toughest things about doing your own thing is payment.
Not asking for it, getting it.
One of the worst situations I ever had was a company – who I obviously no longer work with – who took seven months to pay.
SEVEN.
Not because they were having a hard time.
Not because they lost my invoice information.
But because they thought they could.
And you know what, they could … because in the big scheme of things, I was a mosquito in terms of their ‘suppliers’ and so I was ignored as a priority.
Again.
And again.
And again.
But you know what else mosquitos can be?
Annoying little fuckers and I used that experience to learn from my mistakes, resulting in an updated set of T&C’s that now contain clauses that state – the longer the delay in their payment, based on pre-agreed terms – the more implications they will be subjected to.
It starts off with a relatively small % increase, based on what is owed, added to the bill.
Then there is an increase in the % of a more significant amount.
And then finally, they grant me approval of being able to publicly shame them as well as charge them – up to $1000 – for the costs of ‘advertising’.
Have I ever had to use it?
Well, I have in terms of increasing the amount owed due to late payment, but never anything more than that …
In fact, when dealing with companies with a procurement department, that is the ‘clause’ they generally always demand is removed to which I always respond in the same way:
“Are you intending on delaying my payment for work undertaken?”
Have I lost work because of this approach?
Yep … I have, but not only do I not want to work with people who knowingly withhold payment, I also am of the attitude that chasing up monies is also ‘loss of work’.
I get it’s economically tough out there.
I also appreciate I’m speaking from a position of privilege and good fortune.
And while I’ve not had too many problems regarding getting paid from the people/companies I’ve worked with in the past, I know many do.
In fact, what they tell me is it’s the companies who talk about their values and commitment to best practice who are the worst to pay on time.
Which is why if you’re a sole trader or a freelancer – or are thinking about it – you need to get comfortable with respecting your own value.
You should not feel lucky to be paid for the work you have done.
And while it’s fair to say companies are in a position of power in a lot of relationships, your approach and attitude can help even up the score.
Not by being an asshole, but by being clear in what you will and won’t accept.
Including the small print in your T&C’s.
Anyone going out on their own is doing something special. But those who do it ‘hoping’ it will work out are being complicit in their own troubles.
So to try and stop you making the same mistakes I’ve made – as well as learn the good lessons I’ve been fortunate enough to receive – here are some posts that may/may not be of some use.
Good luck. It’s tough, but my god it is rewarding.
Harrison Ford and the value of value.
Michael Keaton thinking like a small business.
How Metallica’s management appreciate value.
Relationships build business.
Procurement departments are just playing a game called ‘negotiation’.
Know what you’re in the business of actually delivering.
Don’t want something so much you do the wrong things to get the business you want.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, Career, Collegues, Confidence, Creativity, Culture, Professionalism, Reputation, Resonance, Respect, Revenge
For some reason, this week is a bunch of posts about professional life.
I get it, I have absolutely no right to write about that in any way or form. But since when has that ever stopped me?
Anyway, the next few days may have some use for anyone wanting a career – be it in a company or on their own. I don’t write it because I have all the answers, but more because I’ve experienced a lot of the problems. Self made and otherwise, ha.
So recently, someone I know told me their career hadn’t turned out as they hoped.
The thing is, they had done well.
Lived and worked around the World.
But despite that, they felt it wasn’t what they hoped it would be.
I get it … we all probably have had moments where we’ve felt that, especially if you see others you don’t think are as good as you, having a better career than you.
But while that can spur you on, it can also bring you down.
Making you focus on what you failed at rather than what you’ve gained, or forget that someone out there is probably looking at what you’ve done with the same jealous eyes as you are looking at someone else.
The reality is everyone has something they wish they were better at.
Or should I say, better than someone else is at.
Might be their career.
Could be their talent.
Hell, could even be their looks.
Even that rich arrogant prick Elon Musk wishes he was funnier than he is. He won’t admit it of course, but you can tell by his actions and behaviours that’s the case. From bringing a sink into Twitter when he bought the company to prancing on stage holding up a chainsaw – he is desperate to be seen as someone he isn’t.
And while he may try to front it out, his actions show a deep insecurity with who he is. That he knows he isn’t all he wants to be.
And while I am not trying to suggest we should all be happy with what we’ve got and who we are … it is a reminder that its worth remembering the bits you’ve done that were good, because it’s amazing how they tend to be the first things we forget.
Throughout my career I’ve had people talk to me about feeling they’ve hit a ‘dead end’ and my response to them is the same every time ..
“Go back and review all the work you’ve done in the past 12 months and then come back to me if you still feel the same way”.
To be honest, most of them do come back … but also most admit that maybe they’ve done more than they had first thought they had.
A career is a big thing to have.
It’s hard to get but also a privilege to be able to have.
Not just because times are always changing and certain prejudices are continually remaining … but because we, as people, tend to continually be judging, comparing and competing.
Some with others.
Some with ourselves.
Some with people in industries we have nothing to do with.
So while having ambition and hunger is a key trait of career progression – as is, to a certain degree, jealousy – so is acknowledging and respecting who you are and what you’ve achieved, even if it is not quite what you hoped.
Because if you only focus on what you’ve not done, how are you going to be of value to those who want your expertise in what you have?
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Advertising, Attitude & Aptitude, China, Colleagues, Content, Context, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Distinction, Diversity, Emotion, Empathy, HHCL, Management, Marketing, Marketing Fail, Mum & Dad, Perspective, Planners, Planners Making A Complete Tit Of Themselves And Bless, Planning, Point Of View, Police, Professionalism, Relationships, Relevance, Resonance, Strategy, Stubborness, Truth, Wieden+Kennedy
When I started in this business, 10,000 years ago, I was a pain-in-the-ass.
OK, I admit … I still am, but for different reasons these days.
Because back then, my annoying trait was driven my eagerness to learn.
Not just from the people around me, but anyone who I thought had – or was – doing something interesting.
It meant I had no boundary as to who I spoke to.
Not just in the agency, but out of it too.
It resulted in me talking to all manner of different people – regardless of their role or level – the only requirement being they had to doing something I thought was interesting.
Not because I was trying to gain favor.
Not because I wanted to earn ‘social clout’.
But because I was, as my Mum had taught me, interested in what other people were interested in … and I thought who better to look at than the people who had, or were doing, something that interested and intrigued me.
What this meant was I not only built up my context and breadth of knowledge pretty rapidly, it also meant I built connections that I may otherwise not ever get to. Not that, my goal was that, it was just a byproduct of it.
And while I definitely got this trait from my parents, at the time I just thought it was normal … something everyone did. Until I realised it wasn’t.
One day I got called into one of my bosses office and asked what the fuck I was doing.
A client had mentioned to him I’d been in touch [in a nice way] and my boss couldn’t work out for the life of him, how – or why – that had happened.
As he started telling me that I need to spend my time focused on my job rather than interrupting people from doing there’s … I told him that I was doing my job. That I’d not let anything fall through the cracks and it was at that point he inadvertently gave me one of the best lessons I’ve ever had in my career.
You see, when he realised I was meeting/chatting to all these people but still fulfilling my responsibilities, he knew he didn’t have a leg to stand on. Worse, he knew I knew.
And that kind-of liberated me to go after anyone or anything I found interesting.
It’s how I met Paul Britton, the Forensic Profiler who brought the discipline to the UK.
It’s how I met Clotaire Rapaille, the author of The Culture Code – which has had a huge influence on my work.
It’s how I met Lee Hill … who I am incredibly grateful is still in my life as my mentor and friend.
And despite all that being decades ago, I have continued to do it throughout my career – resulting in me getting to learn and understand perspectives from International Football Managers to Sex Workers.
Or said another way …
By following what interests me rather than what is expected of me, I’ve ended up with a wonderful range of wonderful people who continue to inform, educate and advice me on what I do and how I do it.
The reason I say this is that I am pretty surprised how many people only want to engage with people of a similar level to them. Not all, admittedly … but far too many.
I don’t know if it is nerves, respect, the fear of looking like a social climber or even the bloody class system but what I can honestly say is that my ‘informants’ [as I called them in Heather Lefevre’s great book, ‘Brain Surfing’] still provides me with more insight and creativity than all the frameworks, systems, social listening tools and focus groups – put together.
Which is why when people ask me what they can do to develop their skills, I tell them to not follow the words of the Linkedin pundits and gurus, but wherever their curiosity takes them or intrigues them. Because if you only play where you’re comfortable, you’ll never see everything you want is on the other side of it.
Filed under: Advertising, Agency Culture, Attitude & Aptitude, Authenticity, Awards, BBH, Colenso, Comment, Creative Development, Creativity, Culture, Wieden+Kennedy
I have a funny relationship with awards.
Of course they’re wonderful to have, but too many agencies do all they can to abuse the system to get them.
Not just with scam – which are, at least, more easy to spot these days … but in the way they lobby for them.
Over the years I’ve seen some pretty big titles handed out to agencies who, quite frankly, make you wonder how-the-hell they got them.
Of course, that sounds like sour grapes … but awards are only as good as the standards they represent and when they become a symbol of ‘investment’, then they end up undermining the industry, rather than celebrating it.
Now adland is not the only place that does this.
The Oscars has a long reputation of doing this. In fact, this years best movie Oscar winner – Anora – recently admitted spending 3 times the amount on award lobbying as they did on making the actual movie.
As I said, awards are great and it’s always better to get them than not.
But to properly count, they need to be a byproduct of the work you do rather than the focus of the work or it all ends up backfiring on you.
Maybe not immediately, but eventually.
We’ve all seen people/agencies who win big then, seemingly disappear without a trace.
Of course, sometimes that is simply a byproduct of changing circumstances and situations.
Or maybe changes in the tastes and priorities of the industry as a whole.
Or just a shift in career, client or agency leadership.
There are loads of reasons, but sometimes it’s because someone deliberately played the system and then either got found out or couldn’t repeat it when forced to play under ‘real rules’ and ‘real scrutiny’.
It’s why I feel consistency is something the industry needs to respect more.
Of course, it’s exciting when the unexpected and unknown comes out of seemingly nowhere – I bloody love that – but it’s also important we acknowledge those who play to the highest standards for the longest time.
As the old maxim goes, ‘it’s easier to get to the top than to stay there’ … which is why I think Wieden don’t get as much respect as they deserve.
Sure, they get a lot of love … but to be that consistent is an incredible feat.
Something that reinforces more than just their creative credentials … but their leadership, hiring practices and clients too.
Same with Colenso.
We have so many awards, we have got to a point where we don’t even unpack them.
But the reality is Colenso has been around for 50+ years … through countless leadership teams and creative talent … and yet they still play at the top of the game.
Not just in NZ, but globally.
So, while everyone here today probably likes to think it’s all down to us, the reality is we’re just responsible for keeping Colenso’s creative ambitions moving forward … because while we undoubtedly play an important role here, Colenso has been doing it for longer than over 50% of the agency has been alive, which means our success is down to far more than who is there today, but who the place has always been.
The values, beliefs, standards and ways that creates the conditions for us to play.
Stuff set by the founders that has now morphed into something bigger than any one person, process or award.
Stuff that permeates the walls, water and air we’re exposed to each day.
That seeps into everyone and anyone who enters the building.
And while I appreciate that sounds like a load of hippy shit bollocks … the truth of it is demonstrated through the work we deliver and Colenso – like a few others – do it year after year after year.
That doesn’t mean we don’t make mistakes.
That doesn’t mean ever take it for granted.
But it does mean we know who we are and what we’re expected to do.
Of course some will question that.
They’ll claim it’s all down to a particular client.
Or a specific relationship or connection.
Or how much is spent on award submissions.
I heard the same thing when I was at Wieden and I bet the same thing was said at places like BBH in their prime.
And while that approach can work, it won’t over decades. To keep doing that, you need to produce the goods … which is why in a world of big talking, I love the agencies who express their words through the work they create.
And the awards they receive.
Because at the end of the day, awards matter.
Not just to serve your ego. But to push us and the industry forward.
Other agencies. Other Clients. Young talent. Old dogs.
They help open eyes and doors to what can be achieved when you push, craft and have a bit of luck.
It’s not easy, but it’s worth it … especially when you’re an agency based on the other side of the planet, like us, because then awards help clients around the World see working with us as an act of smartness rather than stupidity.
But here’s the key thing …
Awards only count if they’re achieved the right way … for the right reasons … for the everyday clients and their needs … and achieved over decades rather than one off days. Not simply because that’s the right thing to do, but because that’s the criteria good clients use to see if you’re full of shit or not. Because where some clients can get hoodwinked by the glitz of occasional fame, the good ones judge you by the consistency of your creativity.
At a time where consistency can be seen as boring, it’s time the industry appreciate just what it takes for someone to keep being great.