NORTHERN PLANNER

It's confusing doing the job at the moment, there are more people claiming to be strategists than ever. So many ways of working, so many tools.

If you're like me, you're sort of making it up as you go along anyway.

You fear the blank page too.

A simple start that immediately cuts through the clutter really helps. A killer question.

Here's one of mine.

Who is the enemy?

Doesn't have to be a company, I think these days it really shouldn't be, real people don't think about brands that way.

What enemy can you fight on their behalf? Or with them?

Crap design.

Not enough time.

Complacency.

Perfectionism.

Bad service.

Ideas that don't respect the people they will be exposed to (one of mine).

Needless sophistry (mine too).

This can drive everything if you can get it right, if you pick an enemy well.

It can really drive the people in your client company too.

The companies we're bothered about today started out with no more cash than others.

They just had more energy. 

From wanting to change things. 

They knew full well what their enemy was.

Define this and it becomes more interesting and hell of a lot easier.

You might find your own place in the world if you ask this of yourself and the kind of work you want to do.

It was the Joker who made The Dark Knight.

In many ways Darth Vader IS Stars Wars.

Choose your enemies wisely.