As I’ve noted before, one of the things Nigel Bogle used to say that resonated with me most during my time at BBH was ‘none of us is as good as all of us’. I think this remains spot on, but needs qualifying. It might be more accurate (if less elegant) to suggest that while none of us is as good as all of us, all of us might be more effective if we let some of us organize all of us properly. While process surely isn’t as glamorous as hiring big name rockstars, it’s actually even more important. Get the operating system right and the software will perform.
The key is to try different iterations of teams; T-shaped, pear-shaped, whatever the case may be! The point is that we need to have a balance of voices in the room–it could be a trifecta of smarts that lead strategy (a communications planner, a digital strategist and a brand strat), could be a technologist, planner, creative combo. Any way you slice and dice it, you have to get the right problem solvers in the room for the problem at hand.
Awesome is always scary
The vast chasm between really good and extraordinary is filled with fear. If you push yourself to the extent that you’re deeply uncomfortable, you’ll be fine; if you’re comfortable, you’re not pushing hard enough.
Great ideas are just what happen when the right people are put together and organized (or not) in the right way. The only role of agency management is to find, retain, organize and inspire others. If management is not doing this, they’re part of the problem.
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