Hello,
Reading time: 2:14 mins. Still plenty of time in '08 to get things done.
You won't get very far in your career until you figure out how to make things work inside.
Below are a few guidelines to consider - they apply no matter what your agency job is or how long you've been at it.
Of course if you don't get along well with other people maybe you should freelance or open your own place. Just a thought.
All the best,
Joe Grant
joe@joegrantconsulting.com
P.S. What we do best is help agencies do a better job for their clients. Find out more at our website www.joegrantconsulting.com.
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 Working inside your agency
You'll be successful in the agency business only if you play well with others. We've seen careers ruined and agencies break down because internal relationships clog and falter... and it has little to do with client capriciousness.
So what does it take to succeed in an ad agency?
Be Accountable - Adopt this mantra: if you see it, you own it. When there's a problem, don't just whine about at the coffee station. Jump in and fix it! Be a little subversive if need be. Yes, you'll get a bloody nose once in a while but that's the price you sometimes pay for victory. After all it's your company, you work there - you can make things better.
Never Lie - Especially for you AEs - do not manufacture arbitrary due dates. You know, I need it Tuesday (even though the client meeting's not until Thursday... but you creatives won't get it to me until the last minute). Once your associates discover you're not straight with them, you'll never get things on time and your credibility will plummet causing all sorts of bad problems. If fudging's a habit, apologize to those you've scammed and swear you'll never do it again.
Respect - If you want respect you've got to give it first. Keep in mind that it's not who's better, or smarter, or makes more money - it's about what you can accomplish together. Look, we all know creative/AE bifurcation is the festering wound in most agencies, but if you're smart you'll ignore it altogether. Those guys in the other department are trying to do their best, just like you. Take time to learn what they do and how they do it and you'll be on the road to collaborative progress.
Keep 'em Posted - Again for AEs, your first stop after presenting to the client should be the Creative Department to fill them in. They deserve to hear directly from you how their work was greeted. Make opportunities to keep Media, PR, and the back office in the loop, too.
Nurture Relationships - If that nag in Accounting makes your world miserable, work on getting to know her. Be yourself, be real, just don't brown nose... make human contact on things you may have in common like kids, holidays, or an unquenchable lust for chocolate. What better place to perfect your people skills than inside your own "family"?
Anticipate - Mediocre performers react but the stars pro-act - they know how to think around corners. Learn to stay steps ahead of your clients, your boss, and your colleagues so you can pave over potholes before somebody stumbles plus point out opportunities before you pass them by. That means jumping off the hamster wheel occasionally to think, from all angles, about consequences and options. The old IBM maxim packed a lot of meaning: THINK.
Balance - Who do you work for? Most agency staffers careen between being the client's champion on one side and the agency's guy on the other. This is an art and frankly not many people do it well. Reach out to the person at your place who's good at it then sit like a small child at his or her feet asking for instruction. You won't get to the top if you don't master this skill.
Stay Organized - You've got to be organized. Just don't get so trapped in the process (planners, Palms, Outlook) that you lose sight of the project. Because in the end, no matter how much effort you put in, all that matters are results.
See the Big Picture - Every agency I've worked in (5 of 'em plus scores more since starting consulting in '92) has been a frenzied hothouse of activity where it's easy to be nibbled to death by minutiae. An art director friend used to tell me, "Don't waste ammo shooting at the fleas while the elephants are charging." Try this: Imagine yourself sitting in the CEO's office - what would your perspective be from there?
If you do that often enough, maybe someday you'll end up occupying that office.
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Bigger Logos |
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Good Marks |
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Reading design critiques is both entertaining and educational. Brand New offers quick takes on recent re-dos and has a healthy search engine if you want to track down a particular mark. |
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08 Marketing Trends |
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Treat 'Em Right |
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Art Director Inspiration |
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Next time you're stuck facing a blank screen or doodle pad, drop in here to get fired up. This site from Design News has scores of links to sites to get your design idea juices flowing: 180+ Design Inspiration Sites. |
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Dumb Products |
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The title says it: The Dumbest Products of 2007, courtesy of Inc. Magazine. |
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Slated |
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Just a quick plug here for Slate, the on-line magazine. The writing's good, you're sure to find an interesting topic, and contrary to common belief the slant spans most political leanings. See Slate. |
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Why Read? |
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Regular readers of this newsletter know we believe strongly that reading books is the key to success. Here's a list of the benefits of a regular reading habit, at 26 Major Advantages to Reading. |
About Grant Consulting
Grant Consulting, formed in 1992 by Joe Grant, is a consultative resource for advertising agency principals who want to improve their agencies. The firm works on a highly selective basis with agency senior managers to help them discover and then reach their full potential. Copyright 2008 Grant Consulting Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. We encourage sharing in whole or in part if copyright and attribution are included. Contact us at:
Grant Consulting
239.394.8220
joe@joegrantconsulting.com
www.joegrantconsulting.com |
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