NORTHERN PLANNER

I remember a dreadful time years ago when my boss resigned and my line manager was no longer a Planning Director, it was the Head of Client Services.

Let's be honest. There are two kids of Head Suit.

Either the ones on the way to becoming CEO, with real talent and the annoying skill of being good at everything.

Or the talentless politician who no one knows what to do with, but a couple of clients like too much, so they can't be got ride of.

This was my new boss. It was never going to go well, but even worse, this individual suffered from one of the most dreadful afflictions in marketing.

WhenIworkedonitis.

We've all met them, more often or not a One Hit Wonder that somehow, was in the right place at the right time. They can't help, at every opportunity, telling you to bow to their wisdom, because they worked on some mythical campaign, or for an agency or brand owner at the zenith of their powers. 

Despite the fact they are completely and utterly useless now. Even worse, they're incapable of seeing their flaws. Everything you do get's watered down or rejected as they say, 'But when I worked on xxx we did it like this'. 

Everyone does it to some degree. The amount of creative directors who claim to have worked for John Webster for example, beggars belief.

The people who claim to have worked at HHCL in its heyday, at Mother maybe.

I'll admit to sometimes telling people I worked on ghd when it was good, it's just that I've done some other things since.

Of course, people with experience should be respected. However, having spent a year at a great agency, or pulling off one campaign does not make you an industry titan if that's all you've done. 

The people who say 'when I worked on xxx' tend to have nothing since and have little to offer now.  

The ones who haven't stopped moving forward, embracing difficult and adapting to change. Those are the ones you want to be around.

The ones with 'Wheniworkedonitis'? Run for your life. 

In case you're wondering, the boss in question had worked for Little Chef.

In the 2000s.

Seriously.

That's right, not when this great brand with it's Olympic Breakfasts was a much loved fixture of UK motorways in my childhood.

During the final death rattle when they'd forgotten why the hell they existed.