Category: MediaComment

  • 48 ways to transform creativity #2

    There are 48 techniques that can transform the creativity of the work that you do.  Here’s one of them.  The power of burning bridges. Stan Lee was the co-creator of Spiderman, the X-Men, Thor, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, Ant Man and the Wasp, Nick Fury and more Marvel household…

  • Adland needs to reinvent, rebrand and reimagine when it comes to inclusion

    To be match fit your mental health is as crucial as your physical health. Recent events in the Olympics have highlighted this truth.  It shouldn’t be so surprising should it? Yet when Simone Biles – four-time Olympic gold medallist, multiple world champion and arguably the greatest gymnast of all time – withdrew from the team…

  • Do you always know exactly what you are doing?

    Know what you are doing, do what you don’t know. You have all read lots about the Euro 20 final.  Let’s look at another game that has lessons for us at work. Spain versus Italy in Euro 20 was a football lesson about the importance of a balance between clarity and chaos. Both teams played…

  • This one weird trick will transform your career

    There are 48 techniques that can transform the creativity of the work that you do.  Here’s one of them.  The power of diverse voices. Its not a secret that I believe that diversity drives business growth.  It is also crucial to creativity, and truly creative people, whoever they are, synthesize different voices to create powerful…

  • Do you believe in data magic?

    Are we mixing up magic and science (again)? It’s always been true that people can manipulate data to fool others. (A index chart with a scale that starts at 50 not zero for instance is a classic and somewhat disappointing feature of some awards entries to exaggerate impact). Now data may be manipulating us as…

  • Is your career suffering because of all the noise?

    The Media Week Awards are back The awards, which Campaign calls “the most highly prized awards in UK commercial media” are now open for entries with deadlines looming in June and July. I’m honoured and delighted to have been asked to judge again.  I have seen the growth of professionalism and rigour in the judging…

  • What if we did less?

    The power of minus. The power of “and” has been well documented.  Best selling author Martin Sharp has spoken about the power of a “life of combinations”.  He exhorts people to replace “but” with “and” for a richer existence. Recent business book, “The Power of And: responsible business without trade-offs” by Edward Freeman, Parmar and…

  • The cure for zoom fatigue

    Are you exhausted by video calls? You’re not alone.  Many colleagues and friends have complained of this.  And speculated on why they are exhausted. Some say they miss the energy they normally get from being with team members.  If you are an introvert then Susan Cain’s theory in Quiet might mean that this would not…

  • Look at the whole of the moon

    Are you looking at the moon, or are you pointing a finger? The Buddha is said to have pointed at the moon to indicate its wonders to his disciples.  They immediately copied him, raising their own arms to point.  They were concerned with getting it right.  They had many questions: Should they point with their…

  • Delivering transformation: Push what moves.

    The RSA’s head of design is fond of advocating the idea that in order to get change and transformation you need to “Push what moves”.  Note, push what moves, not what is most impactful.  The Royal Society for Arts, manufactures and commerce was founded in 1754 with the purpose of finding practical solutions to social…

  • How easy it is to find that you do not belong.

    Let me count (some) of the ways: You are the only woman in the team You are the only person over 50 in the team You are the only person of colour in the team You are the only LGBTQI+ person in the team You are the only disabled person in the team You are…

  • Can we re-imagine the workplace to make it smaller ?

    It’s a small world after all. 2020 (amongst many other things) was also the year when the world shrank.  We could and did collaborate with colleagues from China, New York, Canada and Columbia at no cost of time, travel or to the air pollution of the planet. In 2021, as business begins to return to…