Life’s A Team Game

Isn’t it funny how we change with time?
When I look back at the callow youth I once was Oh come on I was ...once) , I remember how important it was that I never show any sign of weakness. I was hungry, ambitious, and to be honest, a little naïve.
I saw teamwork as a cop-out, for people who couldn’t handle responsibility on their own. So I’d take whatever role was given to me, and I’d struggle away.
If anyone asked how I was doing my answer was always “Fine, thanks.” But it wasn’t always true. And although I’d usually get the job done, it wasn’t always done well.
Nowadays, it’s all very different.
I love teamwork.
There’s the social interaction for one thing. And there’s the joy in pooling a bunch of diverse resources into the creation of something truly exceptional.
It’s something I see happening a lot at Jack Morton, every day in fact.
Now I’m a lot more confident in what I bring to the team, and I recognise that that’s enough.
So when it comes to team working, make sure that you pick people whose strengths are your weaknesses.
Because between you, you’ll be unbeatable.

Yippie Kay-Ay Mother…

A lot of our favourite movie heroes made spectacular comebacks in the last couple of years.
My personal favourite was NYPD’s finest John McClane, (a middle aged bald guy who could have guessed I’d love him) dragged out of boozy retirement in Die Hard 4.0.
At one point, his young ward, played by Justin Long, looks incredulously at McClane’s battered face and asks, “What makes you that guy?”
Bruce Willis gives a typically laconic response “…because there’s nobody else to do it right now.”
Sometimes, there’s no-one else around who can do what needs doing.
So take responsibility, and get on with it.
Where I might disagree with John McClane is in his belief that he’s the "wrong guy, in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Since he always manages to get the job done, I’d argue that he’s actually the right guy… It’s just a matter of perspective.
Have a great week of being "the guy."

The Rhythm Method

This is going to sound a little weird, so stick with me.
Relationships are a little bit like dancing. (Maybe I have seen Billy Elliott too many times)
They both require strong partnerships, co-ordinated effort, and most importantly, a sense of rhythm. It’s all about understanding each other’s timing.
If it’s someone you haven’t seen in years, it takes a while to tune into the other person’s rhythm, and then it’s like you were never apart. But it’s the same for people that you see every day. As soon as your regular rhythm is interrupted, it takes a little while to get back into one another’s timing.
So far so good, but this blog isn’t about how to make your friendships last.
Think about your relationships at work – with clients and colleagues.
Commit yourself to keeping a steady rhythm. Check in, catch up and stay in touch.
Your colleagues will be quicker to support you, and your clients will feel more connected to what you’re offering.
That way, it’s less time spent catching up, and more time getting on.

What’s Your Centre Of Gravity?

There’s nothing quite so rewarding as being able to stretch your capabilities and diversify.
Our clients come to us for solutions, and it’s all too easy to assume the channel or platform is a given. In actual fact, part of what we should be offering is a willingness to think beyond what we’re known for. If an idea is a good one, it should work irrespective of the channel.
We’re in the communications business, not the events business – so let’s focus on the best way to communicate.
We’re lucky to be in this position – to have the flexibility and agility to think around a problem and take our talents in a new direction.
Many people work in industries where their skills or service offering are rigidly compartmentalised.
Sure, our centre of gravity might be experiential.
But having seen the world through that prism, there’s a lot more we can do beyond the creation of an experience.

Hunting The Big Beasts (Number 2)

In a recent post about 'big beasts' I promised to highlight some of the other key figures within Jack Morton.
Today it's the turn of our Executive Creative Director, Tim Elliott.
Aside from having an abundance of ideas and a questioning nature, Tim's another keen believer in the importance of humour (see Monday’s post).
During his years in the industry (no-one knows how many, although his likeness is embroidered in the Bayeux Tapestry) Tim has developed a lovely, warm and approachable style, based on the belief that management should be a friendly hand on the shoulder rather than a shout in the ear. He's a great presenter, a quick thinker and a keen popper of the balloons of ego. In any briefing or brainstorm, Tim will be the one to ask "Why should anyone care?" before we get carried away with our own brilliance.
Tim believes that everyone responds well to the unusual, and actively seeks out personality, inventiveness and a dose of humour in every project he touches. But he also recognises the same qualities in the people who make up his team.
As a consequence, he allows gut instinct to trump HR technique when recruiting, and told me once that investing in casual relationships can sometimes help to build a happy marriage...... OK that part isn’t true but everything else is.
Tim is one of the driving personalities within our business, and embodies much of what makes Jack Morton such a great company.
He's talented but self-deprecating, strong-willed but respectful.
Most importantly, he's still hungry, even after all these years.

The Only Certainties Death and Taxis

I was in the back of a London taxi yesterday and I was asking the cabbie, Mark, about the credit crunch and if he had seen any drop off in his income

He in a true London accent, for you Americans out there imagine the style of Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins, said

“No sir I haven’t, not at all, I just start earlier, finish later and work harder, that’s what you got to do”

I took that as a lesson

Funny How Like I’m A Clown I Amuse You?

Not everybody wants to be a clown. Joe Pesci, pretends to take exception to Henry laughing at one of his funny stories in Martin Scorcese’s Goodfellas.

On Friday Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks told a story about St Patrick's Day. Barack Obama and the Irish prime minister Brian Cowen were to speak to the crowd using an autocue. The speeches however were in the wrong order. The Irish prime minister began his speech when he realised he was reading the words President Obama was due to say.
Luckily he had a sense of humour. He told everyone what had happened and then said, 'Why do these things never work for me? Who said they're idiot proof?' Barack Obama entered the spirit of the occasion and began his speech: 'I'd like to thank Mr Obama.'
And that’s what we all need to do, especially when our plans go awry. It’s a tough world out there, and a good sense of humour (GSOH if you’re dating online er ...or so I’ve been told) is key to our survival.

One of my old bosses Iain Arthur firmly believed that a quick wit was a sure sign of intellect. So when things don’t go to plan, it’s an easy way of demonstrating that you’re still in control. And it’s a great indicator of chemistry – if someone’s laughing with you (rather than at you), then the relationship is already up and running.

So go on, make a joke. Have a laugh.
Now, have you heard the one about.....