The biggest rule is there’s no rule. “When the client moans and sighs Make his logo twice the size When the client’s hopping mad Put his picture in the ad If he still should prove refractory Add a picture of his factory”
That in short, was what I was taught when I started my career in advertising, and that was quite a few summers back. Ad agencies were supposed to be all about 85 percent confusion and 15 percent commission. Close to two and a half decades on, advertising, perhaps unsurprisingly, continues to be the same, the only change being that now it’s degenerated further to a less-than-15%- commission/retainer (the confusion albeit has perhaps moved up to 93% to make up the tally!). Despite the progress in advertising over the years, I have yet to meet an executive who hasn’t been pulled up by the client’s underlings because the hoarding design is not anywhere on the route between his boss’ house and the office. But then, I guess the more things change, the more they remain the same.
I have seen a fair amount of things changing around me. From CEOs to managers to creative honchos to planning heads. But I still get asked the same questions by my peers, colleagues, subordinates and above all, clients. Like for example, does advertising really produce any results? To all those clients who have periodically asked me this question, I always used to narrate this story about a person who once advertised for a night watchman and the same night his safe was robbed! Keep the same story going … After all, if the questions remain the same, no need for the answers to change, right?
First things first – The 80:20principle ….(with a twist) You’ve probably heard of the Eighty: Twenty rule; where 80 percent of the effects come from 20 per cent of the causes. My interpretation here is that twenty percent of what you do is responsible for eighty percent of the results you achieve. I would rank listening as a perfect example – listen for eighty percent of the time and talk for twenty percent. This gives a sense of importance to the person and will make a dramatic difference to their motivation, productivity and overall happiness at work. Effective listening is the most powerful leadership technique.
Listening shows respect for the other person and that their opinion is important. I like to face the person and leave everything else aside when a person is speaking. I also smile at them and nod at some mentions so that it encourages them to explain their ideas. I want to listen to everyone, even the junior-most person in the forum. I have realized it becomes much easier for me to take a decision after having heard everyone’s point of view.
Asking the right questions
Asking the right question is at the heart of information exchange. Once a person has finished speaking I find it useful to ask them a question; such as “Can you explain that in greater detail?”By using the right questions,I can gather better information and learn more; I can build stronger relationships, manage people more effectively and help others to learn too.
Leading by example
Most leadership is by example, and the effect of example can be very enduring. This is demonstrated through the lives of all those that I would have influenced, mentored, encouraged and taught through the years. That is why, I believe, leadership influence can span several generations. While this is commonly seen in families, it can also happen in all long-term organizations.
A Better Way?
I would like to sum up my stint in advertising as something akin to a marriage. There may have been a better way, but what was it? Since I couldn’t answer that question satisfactorily enough, I stuck on, like many others in this profession who have had the good fortune to parlay a minimal talent into a long career. So thank God for advertising which has tolerated me for all these years, or else I would probably have written this as the world’s first MBA guitarist, playing in one of Mumbai’s nightclubs. But having said that, I have had my moments – from strumming the guitar in presentations to shepherding The Diamond Trading Company with pride and conviction to having a ball with Nike on top of buses to helping in telling the world about the fantastic stories that were Lead India and Teach India to exhorting Truckers to ‘Use Dipper Condoms at Night’. Cannes, APGs, Jay Chiats, Abbies, Effies, AMEs, London Internationals, etc were just some of the outcomes, but what I really enjoy most is the process. Nothing gives me greater joy than to see a sparkling piece of creative or a brave new idea. Be careful of what you wish for, you might get it
I have spent a long time in advertising now, where I have seen a lot, learned more than a little – most of it, probably too late. There’s a cliché that goes “Be careful what you wish for, you might get it”, so you might need to follow me on twitter (@dhunji) and facebookto find out more on this. On the whole, it has been an eventful journey, worthy of a memoir or two. Along the way, I admit that there have been times when I have raved, ranted, blown my top, cracked jokes, been at the receiving end of some, crafted many unforgettable one-liners like “just re-do it” that have gone onto Indian advertising folklore, but hand on heart, I can say that I have done my bit and will continue to do so. Even though I started by saying ‘The biggest rule is there’s no rule’ I can say one thing for sure – the future, without doubt, will be bigger, better and brighter.
