Rob Strasser's Vision

                   ​adidas original samoa

I’m originally from Portland, Oregon, and remember very well the birth and growth of Nike in the ‘70’s (their world campus is five miles from my old neighborhood). And I also witnessed the birth and growth of adidas America in the ‘90’s – the office of which was originally in the same vicinity. (Curiously, adidas America is now located in a former hospital – where both of my children were born – weird, I know.)

So having these two huge companies in your backyard makes it more personal. I had (and still have) lots of friends and former colleagues working for one company or the other. Both companies take good care of their employees, and are good stewards of their environment – not to mention how much they give back to their community. Thank you for all the jobs by the way.

But this is about Rob Strasser who was the first CEO of adidas America. The people I knew who had the opportunity (of a lifetime) to be with that company at the beginning were truly inspired by Mr. Strasser’s vision and passion.

So my husband reminded me of a list that Mr. Strasser wrote when starting adidas America. Legend has it that he wrote it on a napkin (where all great ideas and inspiration start), and that it’s on a wall at a brewpub in Portland. (If you know anything about this – please let me know!)

Here’s the list:

Unique
Simple
Interesting
Unexpected
Understandable
Meaningful

Rob Strasser became CEO in February of ’93, and died in November of ’93. A few months to inspire everyone in the company – the inspiration still lives on today.

We all should take note of the list in everything we do. Every day.​

When It's Time to Replace an Employee...or Go Clamming

                  ​Mo's clam chowder.

Yesterday’s post should have been titled “Happy as a Clam…” but those who are clam-like are hiding. They’re just waiting for the tide to move them on – or until someone skilled in spotting the tell-tale signs, equipped with a clam shovel, to dig ‘em up.

But just like when you go clamming, you have to include some cleanup.

What I mean is when you uncover that clam in your agency or department; you’ll most likely need to do the cleanup yourself.

That happened to me.

I was promoted to a position managing seven individuals who had varying levels of responsibility. One person had a very specific job, and she was the only one who performed it in our company.

I met with my new team, laid out goals and asked for their input on what a day in their work life looked like. I wanted to hear everything. I then met with each person individually.

Except for that one person. She was way too busy. Her desk was a wreck (think Milton’s desk in Office Space), and when I finally sat down and insisted that she give me the three-minute description of her job and challenges – she couldn’t.

I checked out her employee file and read her annual reviews. She consistently under-performed, was given specific goals which were never met, and was handed-off from manager to manager. In seven years she managed to keep her job – because no one wanted to take on figuring out what she did, or ways to correct it. She didn’t have the skills – or drive – to make changes herself. Neither did her past managers.

The biggest issue was that she had a position where significant amounts of money passed over her desk. Every month. We’re talking easily a million dollars a month. She had no system for tracking it, she just requested checks, sent them to her (one) vendor, then collected receipts, and said everything “checked-out fine”.

My concern was that she had no checks and balances for ensuring all monies were reconciled, and that she relied on one vendor to provide all receipts. Everything was accepted as accurate.

Further, an accounting had been requested from her for every year of those seven years. She never complied, and there were no consequences for failure to perform.

I finally planted myself at her desk and had her show me exactly what she did and documented it. Then provided her with what I needed from her, gave her a simple spreadsheet – a way to track outgoing cash and incoming receipts. She didn’t use it. She was too busy. We went through the required standard verbal and written warnings, and yet nothing changed. She had learned there were no consequences.

I gave her every opportunity to make it right, and even offered to dig in and help. She said she was was too busy to have me help.​

She was stunned when I let her go. 

Surprisingly, the vendor was unwilling to work with me to clean up the mess. They told me, “Everything was working just fine.”  I’m sure it was, but I couldn't follow the money. The vendor was fired. They too were stunned, as my company represented a big portion of their business.

I don’t believe there was anything going on other than a client and a vendor with extremely sloppy business practices. But I had to fix it.

Therein lies the problem. When you let someone go who is under-performing,  you may end up doing the work yourself.

Which is exactly what I did.

It took me six months and a temp to clear up seven full years of…zero accounting.

I didn't replace this gal. I didn't have to. Instead, I distributed the duties to each of the remaining staff – which was more appropriate since it actually closed the loop in their duties.

The lesson here is:
Once again, have a good process in place – one that is documented
Make sure your staff knows their job and that there are clear job descriptions
Watch out for clams – there may be more than one
Once you dig up your clams, prepare to do clean up

And by the way, here’s a a lovely little article about clamming in Oregon. And if you happen to make it to the Oregon coast, be sure to check out Mo’s for clam chowder.

Hiding Like a Clam or the Joy of Mediocrity

I read this piece in FastCompany yesterday about the worst-performing employees who are usually ‘happy as clams’, and it calls to mind the use of agency tools/technology/software to manage work.

One of the huge benefits of these tools is the ability to see all the work that has been assigned; and some tools provide deeper information on resource/capacity planning. So in an instant, you can review how busy everyone is – what they’re working on, how many hours they’re allocated by the day/week/month, vacations, etc.

Handy stuff. And in my experience, imperative for truly managing resources.

The flip-side – and I’ve experienced this too – is that employees can feel we’re watching or controlling them. Oh, please.

True. And not true. I am not Big Brother, and I’m certainly not your Mother. But I am here to make sure stuff gets done on time. That also means staying on budget as well as meeting the criteria of the brief.

What using these tools diligently will reveal is one of perception versus reality. Some people appear really busy, and don’t turn out a heck of a lot of work. Others just plow through one project after another.

And most of the time you cannot tell one from the other. Therefore you set expectations, and then you review the results.

As the article states:
"Mediocre performers can do a really good job of hiding under the surface. Most are experts at busywork, which they bury themselves in to appear busy.”

This isn’t spying, but rather getting a clear idea where every client (or agency) dollar is going.

And these tools reveal a world of other things as well. Is everyone an ace in Photoshop, Illustrator or html? Some are better (and faster) than others. There can be hardware or software issues that can bring even that ace to a grinding halt. Maybe they’re disorganized, or simply screwing around too much.

When time estimates (therefore budgets) are consistently blown, you need to investigate further. As a manager, it is your job to find out what’s going on – or your part of the problem. (More on that later…)

If you have a well-trained staff, have super hardware and software and some still can’t cut it, then it’s time to have a chat.

It could be something as simple as too many distractions – or perhaps they just don’t want to work all that hard and this is an easy paycheck. The clams. The ultimate in mediocrity.

Get organized, get on top of your projects and let the clams drift to a tide pool elsewhere. 

Expectations – Please Read

I read the Cynical Girl blog every day.  Laurie Ruettimann is The Girl, an amazing writer, and at the top tier of bloggers.

Yesterday she posted the most thoughtful piece on Meeting and Exceeding Expectations I have ever read. Simple. Deep. To the point.

You must meet expectations - every day - before you exceed them.

The post is so good, you should read – and share it.

I only aspire to write that well.

How To Fix It

There are lots of blogs written, and consultants with sites who work with / write about agencies and in-house marketing departments. These experts assess and refine your business skills, coach leadership, or even define your brand. Most are highly qualified and very successful – plus they’re really nice folks.

They work with Owners / Partners, EVPs, SVPs, VPs, Accountants – all those guys and gals who lament, “There’s something wrong.”

When your car doesn't start do you get out, take a look, and decide it needs a wash and wax? Nope. Instead, you have someone get into that…place…under the hood, where you never look.

I am like...an automotive technician. I check out the moving parts of your agency or department. Disassembly and observation tells me what is wrong. Management usually doesn't go there.

I work with the day-to-day everyperson (which probably represents, a large percentage of your staff), and their seemingly drudgery-related stuff that can sap your organization of…joy.

I know joy exists in advertising, because I have witnessed it. In between crises.

Joy: things that make you want to go to work. Like doing awesome creative, bonding with appreciative clients and turning a profit.

I have done the work myself, dealt with the powers-that-be, and know exactly what they’re thinking:
We’re always over budget (not making money on X client), or late, or employees are hatin’ on one-another – as in, no joy. Fix it.

I've said it before and I’ll say it again – if you want to know what’s going on, or going wrong – ask the people doing the work.

Well, for God’s sake, do not crowdsource a solution. Because like any committee, they meet; issues get discussed (interminably); ideas cheered; a task force is assembled; a manifesto written; then everyone gets busy and nothing changes.

The suggestion box is for management who doesn't want, or is ‘too busy’ to take a little time and have direct contact with staff. And, have you ever read the suggestions? “Let’s have Stone IPA instead of that lame Bud Light. Trust me, I have seen that.

If it sounds like I’m beating up management – I am. Quit thinking you know everything and listen to your employees. Incessant whining is one thing, complaints are something completely different. Let the whiners go elsewhere to spread their gloom; listen to the complaints because those can be fixed.

I invite you to descend from that throne and pay heed to your employees’ ideas, complaints and solutions – all the time. The complaint department is a laser-quick path to enlightenment.

Give those ideas/complaints/solutions some air time. Ask that person to flesh-out the idea, provide a simple plan, and bring it back. Then give it thoughtful consideration – right away – and act. They did the work, you owe them. And it just could fix the problem. Then you wouldn't need to hire a consultant.

Back to process.
Most agencies have competent accounting staff. That’s because they have learned to follow strict rules - there are specific procedures for that role. There are amazing programs out there that will give you every kind of report you can imagine. And if you have good process in place – a process for the other 90 percent of your agency – you will be able to rely on those reports. Imagine, getting rid of Excel.

But a lot of agencies – and in-house marketing departments – don’t have a good process for managing (e.g. documenting, tracking) the day-to-day that feeds those important reports. You know, the ones that tell you if you are making money – or not.

The problem usually is this: management doesn't like to hear whining about process, so they forego structure for just a little quiet. This stuff doesn't just go away and fix itself.

As an aside, if your staff doesn't have the time to assess, define and implement process and tools; and you (managers) don’t want to field the, “why are we doing this?” I can help. Short term / long term solutions are available.

So all those things you hate, and your staff says takes too much time – like process, forms, schedules, budgets/estimates, and – timesheets. You need them. And to be effective, they really should be accurate – like updated – real time.

It isn’t drudgery if you define your process, put good tools in place, and ensure compliance.

It will become a habit. Like having Beer Fridays. You will experience joy.

Shortcuts = Disasters

I have this book The Logic of Failure by Dietrich Dörner. Amazing – there is logic to making really stupid decisions. I bought the book because I was trying to make sense of the tragedy that is, Projects Gone Off the Rails.

Since I seem to be on the subject of illustrating the disaster of Deviations and Justings aka Tiny Daily Decisions, I’ll talk about a little something that went completely out of control.

Never had one? Then you aren’t in advertising. Or ever worked. Anywhere.

One word: Chernobyl.

I could have used a million others (there are so many from which to choose), but this is so graphic – and long lasting – like millions of years, that it begs comparison to your Tiny Daily Decisions and their lasting effect.

In the book, the author states, “[t]he tendency to ‘oversteer’ is a characteristic in human interaction with dynamic systems…We regulate the situation and not the process.”1

In a nutshell – or a sarcophagus – a series of decisions to override tested and proven systems (official procedure), in the name of haste (a holiday weekend ahead), caused that irreversible chain reaction – and meltdown. And spewing a radioactive cloud, which wasn't reported until some heads-up folks in Sweden detected it. A couple days later, denial was impossible (they tried – it’s under control) and the explosion was news.

How does a disaster of this magnitude beg comparison to your Tiny Daily Decisions in advertising? Well, because folks in advertising think that every error (or little change the client wants) deserves Level-One Trauma Status and the patient is going to die if we don’t act NOW. Therefore, rather than taking a step back and determining how much of a disaster you have on your hands, you dive in and keep trying to regulate the situation.

If you have a process in place (you do don’t you?), you actually have a set of steps to prevent oversteering – or at least be able to recognize the effect of what you are about to do.

Or, if some numskull decided to deviate, you can actually identify that crafty departure before it’s Too Late.

The problem, like at Chernobyl, is that when things go horribly wrong and you ignore process, every individual who touches that job keeps oversteering.

Voilà! You have blown the budget, delivered it late, and it is unrecognizable from the original plan. Worse, you have no idea when or where it started heading to the path of ruin, much less who initiated it.

But you delivered the job. The client isn’t really happy. And you send a bill – for the original estimate.

Yep, I keep harping on it, but this will keep you from making (too many) stupid, expensive decisions – put a process in place and use it. Think about the action you are about to take, document it so everyone is on the same page, and then make sure it’s covered in the budget.

You start pushing that crap through without a second thought and someone will have a meltdown. And the folks in Sweden will let me know.

If you don’t know how to get process in place, call me. If you don’t want to damage fragile egos with oh-so-cumbersome procedure, call me anyway. Everything will be okay.

1 pp. 30 The Logic of Failure

Beer Fridays: Ultimate Agency Culture

Since I've been on a theme this week about company culture, I’ll talk about Beer Fridays. Sorry it’s a late post, but I was out testing martinis yesterday. Really.

Drinking has long been a tradition in advertising. Three Martini Lunch. Cocktails with clients. Legends are born from these traditions.

Aren’t you proud.

In these modern times, we all have microbrews stashed in our mini-fridges so we can pop a cold one when we’re done on Friday at 3pm. Or something like that.

And often, those brews are cracked open at other celebratory times – when a pitch is won, a client lost, you’re pissed at your CD, or you just got something done. Woo hoo!

The best agency is one that has a smokin’ micro-brew account. Awesome beer – always free – on Friday and it’s fresh. In a keg. No bottles to testify to how much you all drank. Just one Red Solo Cup – refilled many times. Everyone loves that client.

Anyway, back to culture. How did we get from suits and scotch to flannel and beer?

Because of creativity.

Drinking doesn't go away in advertising because – get this – it enhances creativity! As if you were looking for a reason, a study published by the good folks at The Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago found that alcohol can help with creativity. An article in Psychology Today about the study summed it up nicely:

“Simply put, people’s ability to think about information in new and unusual ways can actually be hampered when they wield too much brain power. What Dr. Jennifer Wiley and her team have found is that one way to get around this is to have a couple of drinks.”
(emphasis added)

Channeling your inner Hemingway has never been more legit.

So now that you've got creativity down...how does the etiquette part work? Well, since you spend more awake time with your colleagues than your favorite partner – don’t get stupid. And we all know what stupid is. Been there or watched it first-hand. I do not have to give you bullet-points on what not to do.

In an agency, culture is nurtured from legend and folklore. The stories of the founders’ struggles and triumphs, magnificent creative, the campaign that changed everything – all seems so old school. It isn't.

Bottom line – whether you’re in one of the big old agencies that are a part of a Humongous Holding Company, or you’re working in The Hottest Digital Startup – the guys and gals who sign your paycheck have worked hard to get where they are. Many have put everything on the line so they could become successful and hire you.

Have some respect. Working in advertising does not give you the right to drink on the job. It is a perk that is part of the culture in many agencies. So imbibe wisely. And be nice to one another.

Don’t embarrass the boss or client, be cool with the alcohol and get your work done. On time. Thanks.