NORTHERN PLANNER

No doubt you've heard of cognitive dissonance. The unfortunate situation where people will ignore facts when they disagree with their views, line of thinking or long cherished beliefs. They'll also jump all over the facts that support their line or argument. instead. 

It's why you should be very careful when you're using any research or data, it's odds on you'll ignore the real implications and use what supports the direction of your thinking. In other words, research tends to be useless because your mind is already made up (you just don't know it is). 

Just as you need to be really careful changing the minds of others, clients etc, with research – they will only believe what they want to believe.

It's amazing by the way how many strategy types are very dismissive of any research they haven't managed, but it's gospel if they've managed it. Also, think of the amount of focus group bashing that goes on from planning rockstars -compare this with the practice of using groups to support your pitch.

The big problem with cognitive dissonance is that it gets worse as the stakes get higher. Few junior account execs or planner buyers will dig their heels in arguing with the boss, not only will they get fired, their reputation at work isn't built on being right(yet), it's getting stuff done on time. 

It's the agency leaders you need to watch out for. The creative directors, the heads of strategy, the social media director and the CEO's. 

Not only is their entire career built on  knowing more, being more expert, basically being infallible, the process means they have to land on something and then stick to it. A head of strategy will want to jump all over an insight or killer observation or comms strategy, a creative director will land on a core idea, a CEO only makes big strategic decisions, it's just they're more about the agency and less about clients. And of course, agency culture means that bigger egos and those great at persuading towards a line of argument tend to rise to the top over more thoughtful and maybe more open minded folks.

In other words, the stakes are simply higher for your boss than they are for you, and agency culture tens to lock this in as they have to make big decisions in more of the showpiece bits of agency life……they can't be seen to wrong and their personalities only make it worse.

In other words, don't trust a think your boss says. I you want to make the most of them, use their ego, their clout and their persuasive skills to sell YOUR THINKING, by helping them to think of it themselves.

Unless you're the boss, then you're part the problem.