Three Requests
Be optimistic, open-minded, and courageous.
The following outlines my requests for you as members of our leadership team. They’re not mandates. But they do require consideration.
Don’t panic if your immediate reaction to the following is “hell no.”
Sit on it until the end of the week. Decide if your reaction is due to a serious impediment to business (a client, a project, a team) or if it just makes you uncomfortable. If it’s the latter, find the courage to do it, find someone to keep you accountable, take a deep breath, and/or hug someone. Former, see me and let’s chat.
1. Sit next to someone you don’t know, from another discipline.
The community has asked for multi-disciplinary everything: from team building to seating to reporting structures. We must work smarter to better integrate our teams and create compelling stories for our clients all the way from strategy through design.
2. Take walks with people you believe in
Make someone feel seen. Choose someone you wouldn’t normally but with whom you see great potential. The people you pick do not need to be your direct reports. Who do you think does great work? Who do you want to recognize for pushing you to think or act differently? Who do you just think is awesome and you want to get to know them?
It’s a coffee. Easy, simple, low cost. Don’t make it feel weighty by adding a bottle of wine, a dinner at Eleven Madison, or tickets to see Bradley Cooper’s new play. Be mindful.
3. Make your ideas tangible
Push yourself to try something different that delivers great impact, but offers more tangibility and interaction. Don’t abandon a necessary deliverable to achieve this request; instead, next time you’re full-steam ahead, pause and wonder: is this thing (deck, spreadsheet, poster, workshop, etc.) the right thing to do for my client, for my team, for myself?
Thanks team,
Beth
Note: If you’re reading from beyond Interbrand, welcome. This post (and others like it) is intended to support internal initiatives, asks of my leadership team and employees, and general ways I’m framing and reframing the way we do our work. Enjoy.
