NORTHERN PLANNER

Two things happened to me this week that were linked in an odd way.

First off, on Tuesday I was starving on a train and went to the food bi t for a bacon sandwich. The cue was about 20 deep, people were impatient and their was just one poor girl serving. She worked at the speed at light; heating stuff up, taking credit cards, counting out change and managing to smile all the way through. I don’t think I could have done that.

Then last night my tire blew on the way home. Being totally impractical, I had to get the AA out to change my tire. I can just about check the oil and that’s it.

Lots of people are good at things the rest of us are not, not just doctors or police. People do amazing things everyday, yet we never really stop to think about them.

It’s true in agencies too. My last place fell apart for two weeks when the guy who looked after the building was off sick. For a few days he was the most important person there.

We seem to celebrate the ideas people all the time, but what about the doers? Who speaks up for the studio that saves our bacon week in week week out? Who woulddo the contact report if the suits didn’t? What about accounts? Everyone’s good at something, maybe we should appreciate that a bit more.