Two Way Mentoring
by Michael Donahue , former 4A’s EVP Many successful companies encourage senior executives to mentor junior executives for these reasons: A) To accelerate the younger execs’ careers, B) To let them know senior management cares about them, and C) To give the mentors perspective on issues and opportunities they and their senior management might be […]
It’s up to you to create interest in your ideas.
I watched a movie yesterday that made an interesting observation. A professor was frustrated with his son’s attention span because he spent endless hours on video games but couldn’t focus for a half hour on schoolwork. He tried to connect by gaming online with his son, but couldn’t get into it and gave up after […]
The crisis of connection in the workplace
For years before 2020, the most contentious employee issue I heard in all my workshops was flexibility. Next gen workers wanted more time working from home, then everyone started asking. When managers pushed back, they typically encountered a “Why? Don’t you trust me?” attitude. Truth is, companies resisted due to 2 overriding concerns: people would […]
What’s the difference between agency and client time?
A lot of frustration. I’ve consulted for 60+ agencies and 100+ clients and a hot topic is always how to improve the relationship. In every session, I’ve shown a picture of 2 clocks with just the 9 hand and asked groups to tell me when a typical 9 am meeting actually begins at the agency […]
Should you adjust to different personalities or just be yourself?
I was a 23-year old account executive at my first sales meeting when I heard about personality profiles. Somebody gave a keynote over lunch, and I was riveted. I scribbled notes on a hotel note pad that I’ve shared with anyone who ever worked for me. They’re framed and still hang in my office. In […]
Who should be in the room for important meetings?
I spoke to an exec this week with extensive experience at both ad agencies and client companies. As a client, he hated to be outnumbered by agency people in big meetings, including one example of 19:6! Instead of being dazzled, his first thought was “Am I paying for all these people?” This struck home because […]
