Making agencies happy places again
Adland is full of discontent, but it doesn’t need to be that way, argues VCCP’s Peter Grenfell.
Advertising used to be fun, didn’t it? It was the industry everyone wanted to work in. The job with a touch of glamour. You were proud to tell your friends what you did. Not anymore. Whether it’s on a blog, down the pub or across the desks, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of positivity kicking around any more.
What’s more, people aren’t even particularly angry, instead there is a general sense of disillusionment with the everyday pressures of agency life. So an industry that should thrive on passion has become dragged down to a more mundane level, one that is unlikely to inspire each other or great work.
Agency life at the moment is really more of a serious survival game then it used to be.
While everyone will be nice to each other and there is a general pleasantness on the surface – when the **** hits the fan, fingers start pointing in all directions in desperate attempts at self-preservation and arse covering.
As a result, you often see good, hard working and talented people get shafted.
The economic climate and increasingly competitive nature of agency life means those who play politics the best – and by politics I mean align themselves with the right people in the hierarchy, ingratiate themselves and puff up the right people’s ego’s – survive, get the opportunities and get ahead.
And with things being so tight and the industry rapidly changing, unless you got some serious ‘game’, it’s going to be a not so happy place for a while yet. And it’s probably why a lot of people are leaving it or making plans to!
VCCP opened shop here? Did I miss something!
amen to the fact that agencies are bloated and need to lose layers i had to laugh at: “Like it or not, the power now rests with our clients and sometimes they call the shots” just because it’s hard to believe that in this industry the clients didn’t object to being treated like muppets by hucksters with big egos who had no accountability and nothing to lose if their campaign idea flopped
I think it is great to acknowledge the trials and tribulations in the agency world and Peter’s thoughts are a good reminder of some solid actions to take. I do feel it is easier said than done, however, to create a happy and well functioning business when things are off the rails.
No company will ever achieve a good result like this if management of the company don’t lead it and actively do something different. Like with disciplining children, it takes consistency and commitment. Most of all each parent has to back up the other one or there is no authority in the leadership and they are completely undermined. Without authority, even the best talent can be rendered useless and individuals are left to fight it out together – he/she who has the loudest voice (or is the biggest bully) can sometimes win if the boss isn’t on board.
This comes down to a simple practice of doing what you say you will, and having a consequence for people not doing what is expected. From my experience it needs to all be established as a company process or policy fed from the top down and with management focused on it diligently until it is set as a kind of ‘default’. If the boss is either undermining it or ignoring it then it simply wont change.
Words and policies are not enough.
If the boss doesn’t want to be involved then the simple answer is to fully empower those that they want to run the business – that means giving the leaders clarity and the boundaries they need to do the work, and to support all their decisions publicly and unconditionally. Only behind closed doors should they disagree and work through any issues for the business leaders to then implement.
So, whilst the above are a few good tips to try it is the tip of a massive iceberg in dysfunctional businesses. One step ahead is still progress though!
I think you should all come work at a Research Agency instead, bring on the fun…
Agree, especially as someone who has lived the underdog life of point 5.
Many of the points here are true but there are also plenty of agencies (media and creative) actively doing something about this. It’s not simply about the senior people. I guess you need about 20 “positive taps” for every 100 peopy in an agency to keep spirits high and motivate others.
One point that is made here I completely agree with is the celebrate everyday. Happiness comes from enjoying the small thyings that happen everyday not replying on the big highs. They just don’t come along often enough.
Many Agencies are run by disingenuous number crunching sociopaths. That’s why they’ve lost their genuine passion. Fun is irrelevant in a world without passion. I can go for weeks without seeing someone in senior management crack a smile at anyone other than the CEO. By the way, it is really pathetic (and too late) when management schedules agency culture building days. Regardless, while we’re not saving lives, advertising is still one of the best jobs in the World
Agree @Richard – many are doing something about it .. and care. Regardless of the sociopaths (of which there are many, I agree @Ah the Old Days), this industry is addictive!
It is much like an abusive relationship where there is passion and a lot of good, even exciting, stuff but every so often some craziness happens. The balance teeters just enough to keep you there! It is great to see there are businesses now shifting that balance to a more healthy line for sure.