Side before self, the way of the strategist

Let remind you, if you're a strategy type, you're job is to liberate the skills of everyone else.

The worst thing anyone client say in feedback is 'we really like the strategy, but the work didn't live up to it'. 

Yet it happens a lot.

Of course, you are tempted to bask in the glory of 'your bit' having really gone well.

Or at least dodging blame for the failure.

When actually you have failed the most.

You've let everyone down.

Because either your team didn't understand your thinking or it wasn't possible to execute it.

Even worse, you decided to you wanted to make yourself look good in a meeting rather than let everyone else look good.

There are cases, I know, when the people you are briefing just won't work from your thinking.

Maybe they have a fixed idea of what will work, maybe they are prima donnas.

All of these things are not just possible, I'm afraid they are highly likely.

But the worst thing you can do is write up the original thinking rewardless

Clients do not buy strategy, the but the ideas it generates.

So either change your thinking, or change people's minds.

There is no point strategising in isolation.

 

Even when it's all groovy and folks are building off your thinking, it's easy to look like two teams, not one. 

Whatever kind agency you are in, there's a moment where you hand over some sort of one page brief to everyone. 

Many places, especially in the pitch process will  expect you to turn the strategy into slides straight away.

To get ahead, to save time.

Assuming the people that then actually turn the thinking into action won't move it on.

When of course, at least if your place is any good, that's exactly what happens.

The work should be much, much, better than the strategy and take it to new places.

However, in many cases, the brief will look a little 'first page' next to the work it generates.

That's sort of the point.

So insist on waiting for the first review, or even better, the moment you have work to move on.

Then you can write your bit of a cohesive, compelling story, rather than just writing your own.