Posts tagged employees have ability to create impressions
confessions of an ad man
Jan 29th
Well.
Maybe its because I get to talk with a lot of teen/20somethings or maybe its because all my friends are cynical bastards … but I seem to defend the advertising business a lot.
And maybe because of that I thought I should take a moment and share some truths.
Because the business (for the majority) is not made up of liars, hucksters, clowns, alcoholics and smarmy assholes.
And mostly we try and tell the truth to businesses and consumers. I say mostly because I admit that there are some moments inside an agency where one of the minority (from the above aforementioned majority) find a voice (most typically with regard to new business) and says things that send a shiver up my ethical spine.
Regardless.
Some truth (I imagine this is just an abbreviated list of truths of which we could add many many more if I were to think about it more).
Advertising is not always about just selling stuff.
Advertising isn’t just a catalyst for buying (or convincing someone to buy) … it is a catalyst for how people see things, think about things and, sometimes, actually do things. I heard Spike Lee once say .. “I feel a responsibility for everything I create <because millions will see it>.” Advertising may be the most powerful thing out there to affect people. We know we are in a business but we also know we impact people significantly more than the sales numbers ever reflect. We in the business never forget this (albeit it may look like we have on occasion). Ok. Let’s just say that the people in advertising who really ‘get it’ never forget this.
That said …
Yes. Creativity is about results & awards (or recognition).
We understand what we do makes an impact … and should be measured by some type of results. On the other hand … because it is creativity we like some creative validation that you didn’t just have to throw mud against the wall to make something stick. The truth is that advertising people thrive on both. And we have to because sometimes bad advertising can generate results. And people get fooled by just looking at sales results (and not examining the results in terms of what people actually think … because that impacts future behavior). Good advertising can generate better results (and better long term impressions). And awards help better delineate between the crappy advertising that shows results and good advertising that shows results.
We like results & recognition. And we like people talking about it … speaking of which …
Social media is actually not that social.
We care about social media. Probably more than most business owners actually do. Many businesses create an illusion of ‘social’ but in reality maintain a relatively non-social business model (as defined in traditional social terms). So. The truth? The term social media has taken on galactic size proportions standing for everything … and nothing. Here is the truth. Most social media vehicles are simply information disseminators. They aren’t social. They permit people and businesses to narcissistically spew forth ad nausea about themselves. What makes the web different is that there is an OPPORTUNITY to respond. If you take part in responding … well … it still isn’t social … it has simply become a dialogue (sort of). It only becomes social when there is some interaction like talking with someone at a party. Trust me on this one … in most cases it remains at stage one (the spewing part). For the most part the current social world is a monologue.
Oh. Just like TV.
Now. This doesn’t diminish the importance of social media and the future … it’s just that the good agencies keep perspective and actually recommend what is going to be the best for a clients’ business.
Ok. Back to TV.
Television is not dead.
One TV ad on American Idol can reach more teens then a PitBull tweet. And make a bigger impression (because you have those funny moving picture thingies).
Anyway. As long as tv executives keep their heads out of their asses often enough to actually produce programs people will watch … there will be TV ads. And as long as there is TV advertising there will be a maddening mix of insightfully educating entertaining executions and pedantic pedestrian drivel waste of :30 seconds.
Why is that? ….
We don’t know what works (for sure).
Sure. There are some basic principles that can insure your advertising will be in the “good” portion of the gene pool but, in the end, setting research aside … people are fickle and clients (in general) find it difficult to make the hard choices (because they prefer to ‘please’ rather than ‘prod’ the mind) needed so that the advertising actually has enough sharp edges on it to stand out. I will say this … give a good advertising agency (not a hack agency) one year to do whatever they believed was the best thing to do and I would bet over 80%+ of everything they did would be good (people like it) and effective (creates results).
Anyway. We are probably like songwriters. We write songs and we know some are better than others when we write them. We also kind of recognize when we write a hit – on the off chance when we write something like that – but you can never be sure until it is actually out there for all to hear & see.
And we do care what people think …
We do care about clients (most of them).
There is nothing better than knowing you have created something people like and generates results in partnership with a client you respect.
Nothing.
The only advertising people who have no/little respect for their clients or nothing good/nice to say about their clients (most typical comment is “they just aren’t that smart”) aren’t good advertising people. And you don’t want to work with them anyway.
And we do care about the people who buy the stuff too, but …
The consumer is not the king/queen.
Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble but if they were (kings & queens) they could demand anything they wanted and businesses would go out of business chasing their fleeting whims.
Here is the truth. A sale is a partnership between the seller & the buyer. At its best it is a marriagelike relationship. In either case … things are balanced … with one not significantly more important than the other. And why is this important? Well. With balance there is trust. And that is the basis for any long term brand or business proposition. Treat them like a king/queen? Yikes. At some point they will believe they are one and … well … treat the company like a serf (that is bad by the way).
Speaking of how people are treated …
Creative people always have a thread of insecurity (or fear).
If people want to wonder why creative people (or agency people in general) do wacky things … well … try this on for size. Remember what it felt like the first time you were in love and decided to say it out loud? You were scared shitless it wouldn’t be reciprocated. Or, worse, someone would just laugh. Well. That’s life in advertising on a daily basis. Creative ideas and ads and thoughts are emotionally, typically insightful, parts of our soul we elected to have the kahones to share with the public. In the end no client is the enemy, the consumer isn’t the enemy … fear is the enemy. Understand that and you understand the people in the business.
Ok.
I am sure I missed some other truths, but those are probably the biggies.
Good advertising people don’t lie. Either by omission or in actual ‘untruths.’ And they actually have the clients’ business interest in mind with almost everything they do … because when a client is successful, even if an agency may not get credit, they almost never get fired.
That’s the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (at least for today).
a company of adventurers
Oct 10th
Leadership is a tricky thing.
It is walking a fine line of truth (grounded in what is real as well as ‘not lying’) and aspirational (giving people a glimpse of what they can be).
And, as with anything, this is about some functional practical things and emotional soul searching things.
Oh. And connecting them. It is the connection aspect that great leaders do well.
But, ultimately, those leaders who figure it out end up leading high energy, high performance organizations.
And I tend to believe when you see an organization that ‘thinks small’ (or acts small) it is because their leaders do.
Regardless.
Just as I wrote recently about the fact we are in the ‘selling hope’ business I tend to believe great organizational cultures are also grounded on hope. Hope for being better. Being a better person. Being better at what you may do daily (even the smallest task). Being part of something that betters the world.
Great organizations, at their core, feed their people’s hope.
And great leaders figure out a way of showing them that hope.
In practical terms and aspirational terms.
All that said that leads to me to some words that made me think about this.
Sam Meek. Sam was the CEO of of the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson in the 50’s/60’s. And the words below were delivered in a 1965 speech.
Within the following words there are little scraps of hope littered throughout for people to pick and choose from. Scraps of the practical. Scraps of aspirational. Scraps of lessons that can be implemented daily in actions. All littered on a ground of a solid attitude focused on the horizon.
These are words that make you feel good about being part of the organization and yet words to challenge every one to be better and work harder (“we are a permanently dissatisfied company”).
I am not above stealing great words and reapplying them. I use these words all the time and, frankly, I seek to work within organizations that like these words:
When I talk of this company, I am not thinking just of a legal or business entity. I am using the word in the older sense, as in a company of scholars, as a company of adventurers, or a company of voyagers. I think our companionship partakes of all these things.
There had to be something special about this enterprise to attract the talented and venturesome people who have come together to exercise their considerable talents and to derive from it the things that make for full and satisfying life.
Our relationships are subtle and highly sensitive relationships ….
Our job must be to share authority without losing it …
The whole staff must have a proprietary feeling about the company’s work.
We are a permanently dissatisfied company and so far as I can see, we shall not run out of things to be dissatisfied about. I think our work, in most instances, is the best of its kind in the world – and yet not good enough. Not as good as it is going to be. There has not been and there should never be a year when it is not better than the year before.
Our audience is getting more demanding all the time – it is not a question of talking down to them. The problem, the opportunity, is to talk far enough up to them.
Lastly.
I use the quote below all the time.
I am not sure I have ever seen nor heard words from a leader that captured the essence of both functional practical and aspirational better than these.
“We must be dynamic for purposes bigger than ourselves.“
I admit.
I do hate when an organization “thinks small.” That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t think practical but they should think about impact. What kind of impact, or imprint, do they truly want to make. And I don’t necessarily mean making people’s lives better. I mean ‘doing good or great shit.’ Making an impact through what they do and who they are as an organization. Impacting whatever world they affect. It doesn’t have to be global (like a JWT) but it can be local or even within their own circle of friends & business relationships.
Creating a great organization, a company of adventures, needs leaders who say, who mean, who live, these types of words.
And all words that are said within a truth that it isn’t rhetoric but rather it is the soul of the organization.
Be dynamic.
Whew.
That alone is a great thought.
So go be.
character and leadership
Sep 21st
“Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them.” Robert Jarvik
“A well adjusted person is one who makes the same mistake twice without getting nervous.” – Jane Heard
Let’s talk about leaders and leadership and character.
Great leadership is inspired by great ideas and great beliefs and a great vision and the ability to make mistakes with nerves of steel.
Bottom line? Strength of character.
They may not be the smartest.
They may have charisma and they may not.
They may not be the best at any responsibility they have had up until that point (functionally).
But they know how to lead.
And people follow.
Yeah.
A leader needs a sense of a leadership philosophy with certain beliefs to clearly guide action and behavior.
So. I read this following logic flow awhile back about leadership.
Trust is the foundation of leadership. Character creates trust and trust makes leadership possible.
It’s hard to argue with that logic.
I personally believe it is through their character they involve a balanced combination of work, pride (or spirit), soul and home life all of which enables this ‘trust’ in the leader.
Trust that the leader will do right for the organization (business) and the people (personally).
It’s a tricky balance.
I do believe leaders with character make empowerment an internal attitude and mindset cultivating that attitude and lead while still empowering.
They also have an ability to tap into the soul of the organization (and a significant number of employees) as they engage the minds.
Both of those last to things seem to create a connection with the organization without losing status as a leader.
In the end they lead people and manage things (not manage people and lead tactics/actions).
Oh.
And they get the hell out of the way of their people and let good shit get done.
“The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” Theodore Roosevelt
At its extreme?
I love this following quote:
“There go my people. I must find out where they are going so I can lead them.” Alexandre Ledru-Rollin
Imagine the type of fortitude and character necessary to have an organization be dynamic and actually follow. Whew.
Ok.
Let’s think about who can be a leader.
Well.
I guess anyone can be a leader.
And, in fact, in a broad sense everyone is a leader.
If you have influence you have leadership responsibilities.
Yeah. Whether you like it or not if you influence the way people think or work then you have a level of leadership (sorry about that).
And it is because of this influence factor I kinda think everyone should be concerned (or at least pay attention to) about what kind of influence you have on others.
But.
Let me stick with business leaders here (although some of what I am going to say is extremely relevant to all of us in our everyday lives).
Character Leaders typically seek to have a positive influence on the people around them. Influence through trust, honesty and respect.
I found this image which describes the ‘sphere of influence’ a character driven leader impacts (or influences).
It is interesting but even with leadership with trust an honest a character driven leader may not always be always popular (or well liked) mainly because they don’t fear telling people that they are wrong (because they are influencing the organization through a set belief/attitude structure).
This type of leader pushes out into this sphere of influence their philosophy and beliefs as guidance for ideas.
A character driven leader tends to be respected (but not always liked).
A character driven leader works towards what is “right” (not what will make people happy) and the benefit of the organization & people rather than acting in order to be recognized.
A character driven leader empowers responsibilities that enhance the people and the organization (and often will be almost invisible in the success … unless they also combine charisma with character).
Bottom line.
The best leaders don’t just lead.
They have character.
That may sound obvious but you can be a great leader and not have a strong character.
Or maybe better said you have another characteristic that is more important to the situation at hand. And that is okay.
Organizations typically need different types of leadership at different times (so it would be silly to suggest there is only one type of “great” leader).
But, if you have an opportunity to work with a character driven leader, jump at the chance.
Chances like that don’t come often. And it is worth every minute to be part of that type of an organization.
elephants and leaders
Aug 31st
“All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.” – John Kenneth Galbraith, U.S. economist, “The Age of Uncertainty”
So.
I am not sure if this is becoming a characteristic of this generation of business leaders or I never noticed it in the last generation of business leaders. “This” is the inability to deal with the elephant in the room. Or even worse is the ignoring of the “herd of elephants” stalking through the organization.
Yes.
Being a leader of an organization (and size almost becomes irrelevant) is difficult and comes with challenges.
No.
Leaders shouldn’t ignore the elephant in the room or the herds of elephants wandering the hallways.
Elephants?
There are so many to choose from I couldn’t list them all. And no leader in their right mind will do an “employee survey” and expect to uncover the elephants that are seemingly walking invisibly through the hallways and offices of their company. No one trusts internal surveys any more.
Anyway.
Here are the ‘big 3’ elephants I see leaders kind of having their head up there ass on:
- Senior manager flaws.
For some reason leaders are becoming blind to their semi-peer flaws. I don’t know if it’s the “kinder gentler” management of this generation or if they are just focused on what is being done well because it is one less thing to worry about. I don’t care what it is but it is elephant numero uno.
Here’s the deal. People have higher expectations the bigger the title. And they should. A bigger title means a higher standard to live/work by. A leader HAS to set his management team to a higher standard. They cannot be expected to play by the same rules as the rest of the organization. Oddly (having been in so many executive meetings I am surprised I haven’t had a natural lobotomy) leaders want to set up a standard of stricter rules for junior people and more flexible standards for senior.
It’s wacky. Senior people are supposed to be role models. The trickledown effect if you permit senior people with obvious ‘flaws’ is lack of respect, a belief that management is flawed, and a belief that anyone can be a senior manager (which isn’t true) and, well, confusion on how “they” (employees) can see something that should be obvious to a leader.
- Making specialists generalists.
The way today’s business seems to work is no matter what your responsibility is in your ‘growth’ stages you get promoted (assuming you do well) and get rewarded with a generalist management role.
Look. I am not suggesting specialist cannot become generalist nor am I suggesting that a specialist cannot assume some responsibilities as executive leaders, but I do see organization leaders permitting the title/responsibility role reward based on merit not on ability to do the reward.
And the trickle down to those decisions (beyond the obvious that many just don’t deserve that role and mismanage) is that the organization staff see it and get confused (and join the herd of elephants wandering the hallways)
- Inability to deal with younger employee dissatisfaction.
Whew. This one is a humdinger these days. This elephant isn’t even invisible and it gets ignored. In fact, many leaders just stare at the elephant and shake their head and go “oh well, there’s that damn elephant but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
It’s crazy. I have written about this before and, yes, I am going to generalize … but … this doesn’t have anything to do with “this generation’s work ethic” or “young kids just don’t have the same attitude as we did” (gosh, anyone reading that I would hope would feel old if they know they have said it themselves) … this is about leadership.
It’s not about being cool or wearing flip flops to work to show you ‘relate’ to the generation.
In fact, dear leader, they don’t want you to relate … they want you to lead.
A leader doesn’t have to be a ‘giant’ like I have written about before but they have to be a leader. Employees don’t have to like you (although it helps) they have to respect you. And that crosses any generation at any time with any age employee. Being a leader (and however that particular leader utilizes leadership-like charisma) will overcome 90+% generational issues (flip flops in the office should take care of the rest).
Those are just three.
But I would imagine the point here is that I tend to see a diminishing ability in leadership to effectively deal with the elephants within their organizations. They are either oblivious, ignore them or accept them. Any of the three are unacceptable.
Ah. The biggest argument I get from senior people? I have other things more important at the moment, I am simply prioritizing.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ….
I have a tendency to want to point out that an elephant is … well … an elephant. And they are big.
Deal with it.
Anyway.
This is just a trend I seem to be seeing these days.
One last thought (because some of the elephants live outside the office building but come in attached to employees when they come to work every day):
Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises from 1959-1994
“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends, and spirit – and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends, and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.”
Nice way of looking at it if you ask me.
Okay. My advice to leaders? Go elephant hunting.
architects of fate
Aug 19th
I don’t really believe in fate. And it appears good ole HW Longfellow didn’t believe in it either.
He wrote a beautiful poem called The Builders (see below) suggesting that we, the people, are architects of fate.
In fact.
The beauty of what he writes (and this is a truly awesome thought) is that everyone does something, no matter how small or how large, that builds the structure of life.
That each and every one of plays some role. That is a really nice thought. And a nice reminder that no matter how inconsequential we may feel or the things we do …. We play a part in the tapestry of life.
Now.
I am a business guy.
And a business guy with a long history in the service side of the business world.
The side of the world that you often feel helpless and moving about at the whim of someone else and often not really doing anything important.
And I have used this poem several times with companies to remind us, employees, that our actions have consequences.
Even the smallest actions.
Each action contributes to the structure of who we are as a company and what we do.
It is a valuable thought in every organizational behavior or culture sense.
It is a valuable thought in encouraging each employee to understand that their actions contribute to the architecture of the fate of the organization (no matter how inconsequential they may actually feel buried down in the mailroom or the bottomless pit of account receivables department or the office manager ordering heavy stock paper for the copier because someone is bitching).
And (as my good friend Luke Sullivan points out in his book “hey whipple squeeze this”) this also pertains to output. Actual things we do for customers or actions we take in front of customers. Each action is a part of the overall tapestry of the architecture of the company. He also points out that each action often begets another action (in that once you have done something once it begins to feel more ‘okay’ to do it again … I would call that a slippery slope discussion).
Anyway.
As we hustle our way through each day trying to make sure we cross off everything on our to do lists and make our bosses happy and answer customer’s questions and requests it is nice to remind ourselves we are truly architects of fate.
Our company.
Personal life.
Life in general.
Go build.
The Builders
All are architects of Fate,
Working in these walls of Time;
Some with massive deeds and great,
Some with ornaments of rhyme.
Nothing useless is, or low;
Each thing in its place is best;
And what seems but idle show
Strengthens and supports the rest.
For the structure that we raise,
Time is with materials filled;
Our to-days and yesterdays
Are the blocks with which we build.
Truly shape and fashion these;
Leave no yawning gaps between;
Think not, because no man sees,
Such things will remain unseen.
In the elder days of Art,
Builders wrought with greatest care
Each minute and unseen part;
For the Gods see everywhere.
Let us do out work as well,
Both the unseen and the seen;
Make the house, where Gods may dwell,
Beautiful, entire, and clean.
Else our lives are incomplete,
Standing in these walls of Time,
Broken stairways, where the feet
Stumble as they seek to climb.
Build to-day, then, strong and sure,
With a firm and ample base;
And ascending and secure
Shall to-morrow find its place.
Thus alone can we attain
To those turrets, where the eye
Sees the world as one vast plain,
And one boundless reach of sky.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
charging to learn corporate culture
Jun 2nd
So. I just heard the craziest thing I have heard in awhile (it may not be true but it’s worth ranting about).
I heard Zappos is charging people to come in and do a 3 day seminar (visit, exploration, whatever) on their culture and building a culture.
Okay.
What’s up with that?
Seriously.
Who would pay to do that?
Maybe more importantly … why would you pay to do that?
Ok. Look. I get the fact that it’s different world today when trying to make your company (or products or services) into a “brand.” With internet connecting everyone with every minute tidbit of information companies have to become a little more transparent whether they like it or not. An unhappy customer or a disgruntled employee can spread a bad experience faster than ever before.
I guess the good news is that the reverse is true as well. A great experience with a company can be read by millions of people almost instantaneously as well.
But, c’mon, the fundamentals are exactly the same as in the past. The best brand names were always the ones who emanated from the internal culture of the company. And by “best” I mean the ones that have lasted and passed the tests of time. Everyone knows that. Heck. Everyone knew that.
I don’t care if there are a zillion touchpoints today versus something less than a zillion before. The fundamental issue was always the same. You should attempt to make each touchpoint be positive. And each touchpoint should be a reflection of your character (or company culture). Because then (which makes it sound as if it was sometime prehistoric) you couldn’t anticipate problems just as you cannot today. Truly the only thing you could, and can, control is who you are and what you are selling (or offering).
In addition. We have always known the power of the employees in the marketplace (managing perceptions or ‘brand’ if you want to use that word). I know for a fact even in my ancient past in my first job it was important that even when I wasn’t “on the clock” I was always “on the clock” with regard to the company I worked for. Sure. I may have bitched some but in every instance I knew I represented the company in some form or fashion.
Would that stop me from getting shitfaced and dancing on a bar? Nope.
Would it stop me from denigrating the company, our clients, their products and what we (I) did for a living? Yup.
We didn’t need handbooks to talk about culture in those days.
We understood it.
We knew every employee had the ability to create a positive or negative impression.
We also knew that culture wasn’t just about whatever it was we were selling. It was an attitude. It was a character. We weren’t cloned but it was certainly a culture. And, sure, there were aspects of our culture that bled into “customer service” or “customer experience” but they were simply aspects of an overall culture.
Okay. Getting to the point of this post.
So. If you think going someplace to see someone else’s corporate culture and copying it (or copying how it is implemented) is going to work, well, get another job.
- You cannot copy someone’s culture. Period. That’s like saying you want to be someone other than who you are. Your company is made up of your people. Unless you can hire away their people and their management (and management possibly being the most important) you ain’t never gonna be them. So why would I pay to see their culture?
- If you cannot copy their culture you cannot copy how they implement (or the stuff they do to cultivate their culture) the stuff they do within their culture. No can do. Why? Because your culture begets the stuff you do to cultivate it. So if I took all the whiz bang Zappo’s internal things and applied it to my own personality/character/culture … well … some may not come naturally. Because it’s someone else. All that internal culture stuff bubbles out of who you are. Unless you want to try and clone forget it.
some culture chart i wanted to include because i have no clue what is says but its about corporate culture
So. In their words … “At Zappos, our belief is that if you get the culture right, most of the other stuff — like great customer service, or building a great long-term brand, or passionate employees and customers — will happen naturally on its own.”
Do I disagree with them? Shit no.
Do I believe it I some epiphany? Shit no.
Sure. Some companies “lose their way” on his issue (heck. I worked at one of the world’s greatest agencies who had the culture mojo and lost their way by losing sight of its importance). But. I cannot imagine one viable well run company’s leader (or group of leaders) who doesn’t know this and does it in their own way. Every one of us who has ever held a C level position knows that your “brand” is, and should be, simply an extension of your culture (because if it’s not you are screwed if not in the short term definitely in the long term).
Zappos certainly is an excellent example of “how to do it the right way” tactically (I don’t debate that):
- Hiring with an eye on culture first
- Training aspects on what is important to culture (historical knowledge and functional aspects)
- Employee empowerment tactics
- A willingness to hire & fire based on cultural fit (this is actually a biggie)
They are clear in stating their values (although I am not a big fan of the “10 core value list”) and it helps them, within their character, to put a stake in the ground organizationally to measure everyone and provide a north star for actions and decisions and commitment to ‘something’ organizationally:
1) Deliver WOW Through Service
2) Embrace and Drive Change
3) Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4) Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5) Pursue Growth and Learning
6) Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7) Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
Do More With Less
9) Be Passionate and Determined
10) Be Humble
By the way, before all this ‘brand ambassador” and “corporate brand” stuff we used to call it the “DNA of the company”. Just connecting with the company “DNA” which was its’ roots, management/leadership style and personality traits.
Oh. But that was probably developed in the 40’s or 50’s so that was no good.
Anyway.
Visiting some company and paying to learn their culture and how they implement it just seems wacky to me (and an odd way to spend money).
I don’t think you can “learn to build a culture” from someone else. As a leader you build a culture. Your own. Or you are becoming a leader of a company that already has a culture and you are fostering an existing culture. And you do it throughout your organization in all actions big and small. That’s it. No book needed. No class. And certainly no money spent visiting someone whose culture you can’t copy anyway.
Spend the money and buy their shoes. They will like you better anyway.
Advertising Words of Wisdom
Jan 14th
I have been fortunate throughout my career in advertising agencies to not only have worked with many really smart people but also to have heard some really smart things. What I love about advertising people is that they typically find simple ways to say some complex thoughts (except people in account service, who typically use bucket loads of nonsensical words to say very little. Hey. I started as an account person). Here is a sampling of thoughts shared with me over the years (and check out one of my earlier posts on Sam Meeks who was a masterful wordsmith and leader).
“If you are willing to work insane hours, have fun and drink lots of Coors this may be the place for you.“
Roy won’t remember me but I interviewed for a supervisor spot at his agency when they won the Coors account in the mid 80’s. I have always remembered what he said. This was his way of saying don’t expect a 40 hour week but can you still have fun and, oh by the way, I only want people who can be passionate about the business they are working on. That agency, GSD&M, was a zoo at the time. I was pretty sure they had no clue what they were doing (in my infinite late 20’s wisdom). I wasn’t ready for them at the time. I probably wasn’t good enough for them at the time (or maybe I just didn’t have the capacity for their company gestalt). But they have gone on to kick some ass. I will also say that I stored away this little learning moment and have reapplied it time and time again (not just the beer drinking part).
“So what you are saying to me is go ahead and do this if we want to be the tallest midget.”
Steve Danuser
The first time I heard this I was floored (said by one of my clients). It was awesome. I must have said something incredibly dicklike to my client to solicit this response. But he got the point of whatever I said and he had the grace to respond with some humor. I have heard nothing better to say “big fish in little pond” with more pizzazz than this. Settling sucks. And this statement captures the essence of settling.
“We don’t want to be known for creating brilliantly crafted failures.”
Don Perkins
Advertising agencies are always being pointed at and slammed for just being creative and not caring about the business, i.e., “all you want to do is wacky advertising.” And every time I hear someone say this I think it is the silliest thing I have ever heard. My first instinct is a sarcastic sharp retort. I want to say how dumb that comment is. My friend and great creative director took the high road. In this concise statement he says we will always be creative but with no intent to not drive results. Let me be clear. There is no credible marketing or advertising agency in the world that doesn’t understand they are in the business of creatively generating business. Period. No debate.
“Don’t suck.”
I could probably do an entire page of Luke quotes but this is a standout and remains in my everyday toolbox of things to say. I get so tired of people saying ‘good luck’ in a business environment – for meetings, presentations, whatever. At that point it isn’t about luck. You have probably put hours of hard work and tons of worry into being prepared and putting yourself and the team into the right frame of mind. It really all comes down to performance. You are in the time and the place and it is just time to “do it”. So. The quote. Luke just gave me a post it note before a meeting that said “don’t suck.” I wish I had kept it. He understood the value of humorously understanding in the end it comes down to how you perform in the moment. And you know something? None of want to suck when given the chance. Sure we want to shine. Sure we want to be great. But most of all we don’t want to suck. That quote was one of Luke’s greatest quote/lesson moments. I use it all the time.
“Sliding down the slippery slope of mediocrity.”
He actually said “the slippery surface of irrelevant brilliance.” I believe but I thought somewhere he said what I wrote above. Regardless. Another great quote from a great writer. This isn’t just a business lesson but also a life lesson. It is absolutely so easy to compromise – in business and in life. “Just this once” you say when you are tired. Whatever the decision or action it may be to you in the moment it is mentally “an exception”. And before you know it you are on that slippery slope.
Life is funny that way. That incomparable movie The Replacements has a scene where Keanu Reeves talks about it as “quicksand”. It’s the same thing. You get in it. And you fight hard but you just can’t stop sliding down. And it is a truly helpless feeling. The worst thing about the slippery slope is that most people don’t realize they have started sliding until it is too late. It is one of my quests in life to find good people who have mistakenly started the slide and lend a hand to pull them back up. Does that mean I am better than mediocrity? Shit no. I just recognize that sense of helplessness and I like people to have hope – for something better. Anyway. This quote reminds me of two things.
1. Pay attention to everything. It’s the only way to insure mediocrity can’t gain momentum (because we all have to compromise on occasion)
2. Help those who have that look of “how the hell did I get so far down this slope” by grabbing their hand and pulling them back up whenever you have a chance. There are some incredible people and some incredible talent out there that just got caught on life’s slippery slope. It doesn’t mean they are mediocre by any stretch of the imagination. Simply that they got caught on the slippery slope and didn’t know how to get off.
“All you can really ask is for someone to do the best they possibly can.”
Anonymous (and me)
I have said this a zillion times. And I have no clue who I stole it from. But if I could beat this into the head of every leader in the world I would be willing to staple the piece of paper with the quote on it to my forehead. Sometimes we ask so much of our people it is amazing. And, yes, many people do not know what they are truly capable of until they are pushed to aim for something seemingly impossible. I am a pretty demanding leader. I set an incredibly high bar for my team. But in the end all I ask is that they do their best. And if it isn’t enough they we can say we didn’t succeed for lack of trying. And sometimes that’s as good as it gets. And sometimes that is when I have been proudest of people I have led. Ask the best of people and I believe most people will surprise you by doing a little better.
