Mad Men (II)

Ten Top Tips – actually 100 split into 10 groups of 10.  (Who said leading an Agency team was easy?  Simple yes.  Easy no.)

And still relevant in today’s crazy world.

1)    Take Charge and Do What’s Right

1. Don’t manage, coach.
2. Aim for peak performance every day.
3. Be a realistic optimist.
4. Work harder than you expect from others.
5. Make ideas – don’t just talk about them.
6. Don’t say “but”.
7. Make decisions quickly.
8. Clear the way, get rid of obstacles.
9. Spread calm in a crisis.
10. Focus on the important, not the urgent.

2)    Nurture the Culture

1. Shun moderation – live, eat and drink ideas – nothing succeeds like excess.
2. Live the philosophy – nothing but the best is good enough.
3. Zig when others zag.
4. Ensure progress, not process.
5. Learn our nuances.  Guard them jealously.
6. Share the dream.
7. Be courageous.  Fortune favours the bold.
8. Use the agency’s work to make the agency famous.
9. Win awards, keep winning, be the best.
10. Bring our Vision to life, make it the cornerstone of everything you say and do.

3)    One Team, One Dream

1. Employ the best people, don’t settle for second best.
2. Develop your people.
3. Inspire your people to keep exceeding their personal and organisational best.
4. Get everyone involved, no one is unimportant.
5. Bomb the hierarchy – organise, group and regroup constantly around the changing issues, problems and opportunities.
6. Remember good manners, treat everyone with respect, always.
7. Think, talk and act as a team.  ‘We’ not ‘me’.
8. Be accessible to your people.
9. Hire interesting, passionate people.
10. Recognise others’ achievements, be generous with your praise.

KR