by Miriam Hara | Jul 20, 2015 | Advertising, Agency, Creative, Latest, Management
To understand why I need what I need in a new hire, you have to understand the business. [inlinetweet prefix=””Do what you love.” – Steve Jobs” tweeter=”” suffix=”#NewHireWishList #SharedWisdom”]The advertising business isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life.[/inlinetweet] Take it from me, it’s like no other business in the world. It’s not a tap you turn on and off. You don’t (in fact, you can’t) turn on at 8:30 a.m. and turn off at 4:30 p.m., particularly if you’re leading a team. I think people who are really good at what they do (in any industry) are always thinking about what they do: how they can do it better; how they can do it differently for better results; how they can streamline the process to get where they’re going more effectively and yes, get there faster. They’re always thinking about “ideas” and marketing and advertising is all about ideas.
A platitude that’s a bit overused maybe, but there’s still plenty of truth in it: “Work smarter, not harder”
Work smarter, not harder: I want people who really believe that. You’ve seen the posters. But there’s plenty of truth in those four little words.
I never know what will spark the idea, or when it will come, I just trust, from experience, that it will come. I want that characteristic in a new hire.
It’s a Saturday morning, my business hat is off. It’s summer, I might be having a coffee on a patio, at the farmer’s market, anywhere; but I’m probably thinking about a new client, a client presentation, or an idea for a new campaign. It’s the middle of the week, I could be in an airport, a cab, at a restaurant, or just taking a walk down by the lake with my husband after dinner. Maybe I’m in the middle of a presentation for clients, totally focused and an idea pops up, completely unrelated to what I’m doing. Everywhere I am, anything can spark an idea. This might sound like I never stop working and in a way, I don’t.
It’s partly the business and partly me. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”-Miriam Hara, CCO, 3H #ExceedBeyond #SharedWisdom”]I’m still excited about what I do, even after 27 years.[/inlinetweet] I still get up in the morning passionate about our projects. It’s not that I’m always consciously thinking about work, it’s that I can’t help not thinking about it. I want people around me like that.
The business is not just me – I rely on my team. Most of them have been with 3H a long time. All of them have passion. And I want people with passion. I need them:
7 THINGS I ABSOLUTELY NEED IN A NEW CREATIVE HIRE
- Passion for the industry and the creative process.
- The desire to win!
- Willingness to learn and the ability to wear many hats.
- Someone who adds value to the process, who is flexible and won’t freeze when things go wrong, because in our business, like in life, something always does!
- Someone who isn’t afraid of ‘working without a net’; meaning that it’s okay if they don’t know the total background and details of a job, they run with the things and know it will work it out and they’ll eventually catch on. Being okay with not knowing is really important!
- Someone who is thick skinned and doesn’t take things too personally.
- No overblown egos. Confidence is what I want and it’s not the same thing. Egos make life difficult for everyone else. Strangely, it’s the kind of business where ego doesn’t belong, although we don’t think of the advertising and marketing business that way. Ego is insignificant to clients — it would be troublesome. They hire you because they already know you’re good at what you do.
There’s a number 8, but the heading says 7 so I’ll just say that for number 8 a sense of humour is hugely important. I want someone who finds things funny, can see humour where it’s sometimes hard to see it. There’s more to hiring the right person. Things that maybe you don’t often think about when you’re hiring; quirky characteristics that can enrich company culture on a day to day basis. (I’ll talk about them in an upcoming blog.)
It’s such an important aspect of business, finding the right people because it affects so many aspects of the business.
Send me your thoughts on what you look for in a new hire. #NewHireWishList #SharedWisdom #ExceedBeyond
by Joyce Turner-Gionet | Jul 17, 2015 | Business Success, Latest, Management
Your company’s struggling financially and you’re going to have to lay off staff. How you do it is important. In Canada, there are labour laws (Canada Labour Code) that employers must follow during a layoff. This blog isn’t about laws, it’s about love.
In most layoffs, if we’re honest, a little deadwood leaves; employees who perennially didn’t pull their weight despite being coached and encouraged, perhaps even warned, multiple times. But we lose valuable assets too, people who practice business love. These are smart, capable, motivated employees who cheerfully showed up each day willing to go that extra mile to get a job done. I’ll call them business lovers.
“It’s never a good moment, but it’s a better moment when done with love”
6,500 Canadians lost their jobs last month, according to Stats Canada. When I read that stat in the paper, I thought about the 6,500 conversations it involved. How many of those termination conversations were politely informal, cold and loveless? It got me thinking about the way people are laid off. I thought about talks I’d had with friends recently. Over the past year, a few of them, all business lovers, have been laid off. All were long-time employees, all valuable contributing team players at different companies. Each of them had a slightly different experience. I thought of my own experience. The #1 takeaway from my conversations: “It’s never a good moment, but it’s a better moment when done with love.” It’s better at the time and strange as it seems, better when that ex-employee looks back and there was a compassionate, human face on the experience.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#DoitwithLove #ExceedBeyond”]In our society, jobs still define us. We are what we do.[/inlinetweet]
What’s the number one question people ask each other at dinners or parties when they meet for the first time: “What do you do?” When you take the ‘what I do’ away from someone, especially when it comes out of the blue, it’s a shocking experience for them. They think (although in the moment it’s probably never framed quite so coherently): “[sinking feeling in stomach] that’s what I did [panic], what do I do now [more panic]?” Dismissal from work ranks high on the famous Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale, a report from the late 1960s, still valid today, which studied the top 43 most stressful life events that can contribute to illness.
Business owners, managers, HR: If it’s part of your job description to hire, fire and also lay off in troubled times, you need to own it. If you haven’t had any formal training in letting people go, try to get some. It can be emotional on both sides; yours and the employee you have to let go. Wear your big girl or big boy pants and take the time, be respectful, show the love. Sure, it can get a little tricky, but it’s a lot trickier for the employee whose entire life changes dramatically in the 15 seconds it takes you to say: “We have to lay you off.”
Understand the impact you’re going to have on a person’s life in those few seconds. In planning for the layoff, while preparing documentation, take a moment to ask yourself: “If I were to be laid off, how would I want it to be done?” Think about the tone of the conversation you will have. Here’s my take:
- Make sure the location you choose is a place where the conversation cannot be overheard, a place that also allows that person freedom of emotion. It’s an emotional time.
- Don’t simply show up at an employee’s desk with the proverbial pink slip, HR package and a rehearsed HR spiel. Make your words heartfelt and personal.
- Especially in the case of a business lover, that person did nothing wrong, they’re a victim of financial circumstances. Focus on that. Tell them they were valued and appreciated. Emphasize and reiterate.
- Expect anger or grief, or even a complete absence of both, everyone’s emotional makeup is different.
- Don’t get try to get the conversation over as quickly as possible.
- Give them a chance to speak, an opportunity to let out emotions and ask questions about anything they want to ask.
- Let them know they can contact you if there’s something they’ve forgotten to ask.
- Follow up! If you’ve promised a reference letter or the services of a placement firm to help them transition to a new job or learn a new skill set, provide the letter and the firm’s contact information the same day. If you can’t do it the same day, do it in the week immediately following. Don’t wait for the ex-employee to be forced to follow-up with you.
- Give them an opportunity to say goodbye to their colleagues, if they wish. Many people never go back to their place of employment after a layoff, so this allows for a little closure. The hugs, handshakes and the “I can’t believe this is happening and I’m really going to miss you” comments from colleagues (and yes, even the tears) are surprisingly comforting to many people who have just been laid off.
- Speak to the people who are still there. There’s nothing like losing your colleague in a layoff to start the rumour mill: Am I gonna be next?
And finally … DON’T show the cheese video!
Who Moved My Cheese? is an allegorical video about reinventing yourself. It’s often shown to employees who are going to be laid off. Two little mice — Sniff and Scurry — and two tiny humans — Hem and Haw — live in a maze. For years, they’ve relied on a seemingly never-ending pile of cheese. The pile dwindles, until one day it’s gone. The characters’ names give you a good idea of what they do next … it’s time for all four to get motivated and find a new cheese pile. If you’re going to show that cheesy video, make sure you explain why you’re showing it, otherwise you cause panic in the minds of the watchers. You provoke tense conversations later around the water cooler or in the kitchen or during after-hours phone calls, texts and emails between employees: “What is the company saying to us?” “What do you think that movie meant?” “Are we going to lose our jobs?” “Do they see us as mice?
Who moved my Cheese? The Movie by Dr. Spencer Johnson
Yes, it is a lousy job laying someone of; nobody wants to do it, but somebody’s gotta do it. If you’re the one who draws the short straw by virtue of your position, make sure you do it right. [inlinetweet prefix=”Food for thought” tweeter=”” suffix=”#DoitwithLove #ExceedBeyond”]Forced to lay off employees: do it with love.[/inlinetweet]
Been laid off? Was it done with love, let me know? [inlinetweet prefix=”We love lists” tweeter=”” suffix=”#DoitwithLove #ListChallenge #ExceedBeyond”]Have additional ideas for the ‘How to do it with love’ list?[/inlinetweet] Send them to me. #DoitwithLove
A unique approach to laying people off:
Is it possible to lay people off nicely. One company’s quest to blend rejection and kindness
by Miriam Hara | Jul 8, 2015 | Business Success, Latest, Management
The decisions we make today for the brands we manage, the businesses we start, or the professional industry bodies we are responsible for are important. Whether you’re a brand, business or industry association,[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#BusinessLegacy”] professional legacy is important.[/inlinetweet] How would you like to be remembered? Or rather, do you want to be remembered? Those of us who nurture brands, businesses and industry associations know the value and the necessity of keeping an eye on the big picture in promoting legacy.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#BusinessLegacy”]Professional legacy is what people will remember about your brand, business or profession.[/inlinetweet] To obtain it is not as easy as you might think. I’ve said this before in some of my brand posts: [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#Branding”]Consumers determine if your product or business is a brand[/inlinetweet]. It is for them to see it as a brand. Professional legacy goes a step further. The outcomes of all your communications: advertising, PR, even one-on-one interactions (especially so!), ultimately affect people’s perception of your brand.[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#BusinessLegacy”]Professional legacy is about keeping your eye on the big picture.[/inlinetweet]
Professional legacy is about walking the talk and it’s about contributing to the brand, business or association. The question for most of us is: is it really worth worrying about? It depends:
If you are an entrepreneur …
Many entrepreneurs are in the ‘not really worrying about it’ camp. But legacy is important, especially if you’re an entrepreneur. If there is no legacy, your exit strategy is pretty straight-forward. When you’re done, you shut things down. End of story. How sad is that … or maybe for you it’s not?
If you are a brand …
Can you say Coke? Apple? Now compare your reactions to the mention of those brands to that of Blackberry. See the difference? Apple and Coke have always had an emotive connection to their audience. They’re consistent. They’re looked at with love. In fact, they’re legacy brands! Blackberry, at one time at least in Canada, was the country’s sweetheart. Unfortunately, Blackberry made decisions that affected its professional legacy … and its survival. To have been such a star and then not, well, decisions were poorly taken, and the focus wasn’t consistent.
If you are an association …
In Canada there are many associations that take their legacy seriously. Canadian Blood Services, Chartered Professional Accountants Canada (CPA), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) that have really raised the bar in maintaining and continuing their legacy, not letting go of their position, ensuring it evolved. Defining and evolving in a continually fragmented and over populated marketplace is key to the ongoing survival and success of these associations.
How much thought have you given to your professional legacy? Does it play a role in your decision making process? I’d like to hear your take on this.
by Miriam Hara | May 4, 2015 | Advertising, Business Success, Latest, Management
We’ve all heard it before: The sign of a good manager is someone who surrounds themselves with stronger people. This business strategy can be employed in all aspects of business. Ultimately, by hiring people that are stronger, it implies that the manager understands what they don’t know. In other words, they know what they’re not good at and hire people to fit the missing requirements. It seems simple, even logical and it has proven to be effective in many managers’ careers. So why don’t more businesses employ this same business strategy for marketing their business and brands?
Consider this, with the business world rapidly evolving and with the introduction of new channels in marketing, how ‘on top’ of all the new technologies can an internal marketing department be? After all, it still has the business of brand to be responsible for. The brand strategy, the brand plan, the brand market share: All of this is the marketing team’s responsibility – and rightly so.
Too often in business, corporate marketing departments put their internal design and creative team at the helm of packaging design. Sometimes they are even sanctioned to develop their own ‘branding’ ads and even book their own media. Many think of design and media as an extension of marketing, and it is. What it shouldn’t be though, is part of the internal marketing department. If a successful business strategy is to populate the team with stronger talent, shouldn’t that same model apply when developing and working on brand initiatives?
Outsourcing is a solid business strategy. Here’s why:
An internal creative team is limited to what they can work on. They are limited to the company that employs them. Some of them have little exposure to other creative talents and rely on themselves for inspiration. Regardless of this fact, it’s true that creative departments in agencies have taken a huge hit from the expanded roles of in-house creative departments in corporations. For the most part, in-house creative staff are not skilled to be specialists like those from an agency – through no fault of their own.
An agency’s business is creative. It’s not a vertical offshoot or an ‘additional’ support service to the core marketing team. When you consider that an outside agency works on many different businesses in many different industries, they inevitably foster a creative environment for their creative department to learn and grown in a way that in-house creative departments can’t.
With so many lines being blurred, many media representatives will go directly to the client who is advertising – selling marketing brand managers on their specific type of media. Of course they will, however they’re selling only one media property. There’s nothing objective about that. An agency’s business revolves around the media and its applications. It is the agency’s responsibility to stay on top of the latest trends and to objectively assess how those trends can be integrated with brand strategies. Let a seasoned media strategist do the work. It’s their job is to know what’s out there, what’s new and how to properly assess the media and develop a plan that garners results.
An effective business strategy is one that delivers not only on projects but on results. Outsourcing brand initiatives to develop stronger strategies in innovative ways makes all the sense in the business world. Don’t you agree?
by Miriam Hara | Apr 30, 2015 | Business Success, Latest, Management
There used to be a time when you wouldn’t think of going to the office without wearing a jacket or a suit. Adding structure to your stature was a definite requirement. Business casual used to mean dressing down only on Fridays. I remember when ‘Casual Fridays’ first came about, people couldn’t wait for Friday! As long as what you chose to wear was neat and clean, anything was acceptable, (except jeans and flip-flops at most places). At some organizations, you had to pay for the privilege by offering a $1 or $5 donation to the corporation’s preferred charity. Regardless of having to make a donation, we couldn’t wait for Friday! All kidding aside, Casual Friday was highly anticipated.
Now business casual means something much more than simply relaxed attire. The business work ethic has also taken a hit with the adoption of a business casual culture.
Now it seems everyday is business casual. Gone are the starched shirts as well as the ‘starchiness’ of business. But, have you noticed that many in business are now casual in the way they communicate via email or within presentations to colleagues or bosses? Beyond a manner of speech, business casual has also infiltrated people’s attitudes and behaviours. In short, work dedication and commitment have also become casual.
You may be thinking that I am not a proponent of business casual. Although, you’d be wrong, business casual has always been the norm in my environment. In fact, I believe the casual agency environment was the model that corporate followed. However, the dynamics of the ‘casualness’ were and still are different in an agency. The environment, the clothes, the offbeat cast of characters – that’s what agency business casual is all about. The working attitude and work ethic were never affected by dressing business casual.
In corporations and businesses that were once very dependent on structure and uniform, the business casual movement has impacted the attitudinal quality and level of work. Along with shredding the professional (and often confining) business suits, business casual has actually created an altered environment. I for one am all for a relaxed environment in order to promote creativity, but not to the detriment of the work being done. Business operations still need to happen in a timely fashion, using streamlined processes achieving more than ‘good enough’ results.
What is your perspective on business casual? What do you think it is has meant to the business world?
by Miriam Hara | Apr 24, 2015 | Advertising, Agency, Business Success, Latest, Management, Marketing
For those of us in the service industry, we know too well the ins and outs of a request for proposal (RFP) – and what it really means for an agency. I have come to view an RFP as comparable to entering a beauty contest. The potential client asks multiple agencies to show them what they can produce – then they’ll think about it.
From experience, when first invited to be part of an RFP, the immediate feeling is exhilaration – this is quickly followed by dread. The amount of work required to develop a quality RFP is phenomenal. The time and energy that is devoted to this non-profitable account adds an unnatural amount of stress to the agency business. Gone are the days when companies would compensate businesses to be included in an RFP – long gone!
What is the real purpose of an RFP?
Having worked in agencies for over a quarter of a century, I have often seen RFPs go out in an effort to simply validate the client’s current agency. In my opinion, this is quite disrespectful. It takes away valuable hours from the agencies invited to participate. Hours are what service agencies base their profitably on. Asking outside agencies to be part of an RFP, when there is actually no intent to change the current agency, is unethical.
If the RFP is genuinely for the purpose of garnering a new agency, why is this approach taken? Is it to determine “the fit” of the team within the group? If that’s the case, why not simply meet up over a series of dinners or lunches? Law firms hire interns this way. The potential intern is taken to dinner and interviewed in a group setting. It works and it’s fun. More importantly it allows the team players on both sides to get to know one another. The client/agency partnership needs to be based on positive relationships in order to achieve a successful collaboration.
What if the request for proposal is to determine how creative an agency can be? For those of us in the world of branding and advertising, clients can determine this from viewing our previous work and hearing about what was given as the brief. If that isn’t sufficient, perhaps it would be more advantageous to provide the agency with an actual project, complete with delivery requirements and timelines? This would allow the business team to assess how the agency actually works – if the agency is able to deliver on time and provide the necessary added value required by the team and the brand. This approach can be implemented by asking two or three chosen agencies to each complete a different project.
In recent years, procurement has often spearheaded the RFP process – assessing services similar to securing a print provider. The amount of input they have in the final selection is not always clear or consistent. However, the services provided by an agency cannot be compared to printing. Therefore, nothing is equal. It’s not about the hourly rate, it’s about the idea, the strategy, the commitment, and the partnership the agency can provide. No two agencies are alike. Service businesses often build their model on value. The value agencies deliver is quite different, making it difficult to assess them in equal terms.
What are you thoughts on the RFP process? Any idea how businesses can move away from this model of assessing agencies? I’d like to hear about them.
