NORTHERN PLANNER

When I was a lot younger, I wanted to leave something behind.

After agencies and marketing in general consigned me to the scrapheap. 

No prizes for guessing that was a body of good work. 

I still want to leave something, but it's nothing to do with the vain pretensions above.

I still believe in doing great work, because I know it has a greater effect, but as I increasingly find myself tasked with guiding more junior people, I find what excites me is leaving behind some great people. 

As some of the interesting people that have worked for me or been daft enough to listen to my advice become great senior planners and beyond. 

I want to generate people who are great, and nice at the same time. 

I have worked for, and with some exeptional people. To tell you the truth, many of them were not that great to be around. 

Many of the heroes I got to meet in the flesh were disappointing people. 

But just as many were super generous, super nice and great to be around. 

Despite his protestations to the contrary,his taste sartorial leanings, preference for Queen and taste in football teams one the best planners on the planet is also the kindest. 

I know the argument that great talent tends to be difficult, but I just don't buy it.

I do believe we should expect the best from each other. We should expect each other to try hard, to never accept OK, to be honest even when the truth hurts. I believe in mutual tough love.

I don't believe anyone has a right to be arrogant, to bully people, to not take the time to care about how people feel, to kidnap their entire life by making them work 12 hour shifts every day and generally make people's lives hell.

I certainly don't believe people should be dismissed becasue of where they might have/not have worked and what they worked on. 

Most of Weiden and Kennedy Portland's original staff, the founders of maybe the best agency –  whatever discipline you choose –  came together because no one else would hire them. 

AMV/BBDO, arguably the most enduringly successful UK creative agency has a reputation for being non-ruthless. 

Epitomised in Peter Mead's new book. 

PHD where I am now is full of people who are noticably nice to be around.This is a place that cares .

And where I'm going was chosen, amongst other things, simply by the fact that the people I've met look like okay people I actually would want to spend time with. 

So what I try to instill people is threefold.

1. The importance of trying hard and always trying to do it that little bit better. 
2. The importance of remembering to be be human and not a 'marketer' in all your dealings and have a healthy disrespect of sophistry, needless complexity and industry best practise/awards. 
3. Respect for everyone, clients, target customers and especially your colleagues and agency partners – their time, their hopes and fears and gaps in yourself they fill. 

If I leave a few people that are great on both counts, I might feel I've done something that matters slightly. 

Certainly more than a few IPA's or Mediaweek Awards or even D&AD's.