Working well together
Significant Insights is delighted to welcome new columnist, Danny Russell, and his thought provoking and provocative new column, The Edge. Not one for half measures, Danny will explore the length and breadth of the sector, championing, celebrating, scrutinising, questioning, and leaving no stone unturned in the quest to make our sector a destination career.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”
So said Helen Keller.
I would confidently predict that every client and agency leader that you care to ask would agree to that very same sentiment.
Makes perfect sense for clients to work collaboratively with their agencies – synchronising the skills, expertise and knowledge of both parties to ensure the ultimate success of all concerned. We hear words such as trust, partnership, mutual understanding, transparency, honesty, collaboration and co-operation from most people when this subject is raised. So, we are all sorted then, correct?
Well, sorry Folks, I hate to burst the bubble here but, I would suggest, all is not well in this apparent utopian world. And I think you know it!
I was recently at a Conference where, during a Client Panel (my absolute nemesis; more on this in a future edition of The Edge!), a client (who shall remain anonymous) was asked whether he and his team encouraged agencies to challenge the brief and bring their own ideas to the project; “absolutely, we always encourage such collaboration” was his firm and immediate response. The CEO of a mid-sized, very well-regarded, full-service agency who I was sitting with, leant over to me and whispered “that’s utter b*llsh*t; he and his team are the worst client we have for not listening to anything we suggest.”
It’s honestly enough to push one towards The Edge – harmless plug for my new column.
So, why does she still work with him and his team? Because he has large budgets. And in the tough world of agency management, with budgets tightening and projects taking longer than ever to get commissioned, money talks, and common sense sadly walks.
Yet again, there is a “say-do gap” in action. Whilst I hear no-one arguing against the benefits of working together in trusted partnerships; I’d argue that the truth is that these represent the minority of relationships.
After 27 years as a client, and the last 10 working for agencies as an Advisor, I have seen it from both sides. I can safely say that it’s a LOT worse to be on the supplier side. Whilst any partnership is a two-way street, there is no doubt that being the budget holder allows clients to…. ahem…..push the boundaries, as it were, when it comes to good practice. I should know – I am sure I was less than gold standard when it came to my time as a client.
Which is why I am SO supportive of the ‘Working Well Together Charter’ launched by the good folk at AURA (h/t to Ruth Hinton, Suzanne Lugthart and Nick Bonney for their sterling efforts here).
https://www.aura.org.uk/pages/Working-Well-Together
The Charter asks everyone to commit to a set of standards they will live up to when working together – by supporting the spirit of the charter and having conversations about ways of working up front, a more empathetic and productive working relationship will result; thus, delivering better work and more actionable insight. Surely that is what everyone wants isn’t it?
There has been a great response to date but, there have been far more agency signatories than those from the client side. Telling in its own right I’d suggest!
Now is the time for us to start showing some common courtesy and treating (agencies in particular) each other with same respect as we would wish to be treated.
My plea to you today is very simple. If you are a client, then please:
– Sign up today
– Ask a client-side colleague to sign up
If you’re an agency, and you haven’t already signed up then please:
– Sign up today
– Ask just one of your clients to sign up
That’s not too much to ask for, is it, for the betterment of all?