Nowadays, I make sourdough bread at least twice a week. I know I’m not alone in this! I watched lots of Youtube videos and blog posts to learn how to do it. I then borrowed some starter from my local café and bought the equipment.
What Are You Not Going to Do This Year?
How to Impress your Marketing Boss in 2021
I hope 2021 brings you a promotion. A better paid and more rewarding job. The first step to achieving this is to impress your marketing boss. To convince him / her that you’re going far.I’ve worked with many marketing teams over the years. Here’s some suggestions on how to do this, based on the people who have impressed me the most.
Your Truth is Not My Truth and What This Means for Marketers
I share a love of football, cycling and music with an old friend of mine from university. We live in different parts of the UK, but keep in touch via WhatsApp and meet up when our paths cross. He’s funny, outgoing and has a lovely family. However, our politics are very different and we hold conflicting world views. I really don’t understand why an otherwise decent guy can hold such opinions. I’m sure he thinks the same of me. Luckily, this doesn’t stop us being friends.
Keep Showing Up
‘Keep showing up’.
These were last words spoken by Elizabeth Gilbert in one of my favourite Ted Talks. She was speaking about creativity. She implored us to stay present and work at your craft so that ‘your elusive creative genius’ will make an appearance.
If You Want More Ideas, Get a Dog
10 Things I've Learnt About Achieving Goals
In our personal and professional life goal setting is easy. We find it easy to imagine the life we want to lead. A life where we’re happier, fitter, richer and more successful. Achieving goals is much harder. Unsurprisingly, New Year’s Resolutions usually end in failure. Goals help us grow, but we can get so much better at setting and achieving them.
How to Make Creative Workshops More Strategic
In a previous post I wrote about how to inject creativity into strategy workshops. Now I’m going to discuss ways you can make your creative workshops more strategic. This doesn’t mean losing the energy and spontaneity required for creative sessions. It just ensures that the ideas you generate are purposeful and on brief. Here’s some suggestions on how to do this.
How to Make Strategy Workshops More Creative
Whenever I take a brief to facilitate a workshop I categorise them as either strategic (business or brand planning) or creative (generating ideas). I then shape the sessions accordingly. The strategy sessions tend to be relatively cerebral and formal, whilst the creative sessions are much more lively and playful. However, I’ve come to realise that this is a false distinction. The best workshops are where the two styles merge. When creative sessions become more strategic and vice versa. Here’s how you inject creativity into strategy workshops.
The Best Tools for Online Innovation Workshops
Given all the restrictions we’re living with, one of the key challenges for facilitators is how to create the same buzz as face to face sessions. This is particularly important in innovation workshops, where spontaneity and energy are vital. Like everybody else, I’ve had to adapt. Having planned and run a few online innovation sessions, here’s what I believe are the key tools and platforms you need.
Client vs Agency? The Marketer's Career Dilemma
How To Spot a Great Insight
Developing a deep understanding of consumer behaviour is one of the most important tasks a marketer needs to undertake. We’re always on the look out for that big, fresh insight that can unlock growth. Whole departments have been set up to generate insights. We go on training courses. We attend conferences. We learn the lingo.
Great Facilitator Questions
How to Give and Receive Feedback
Over the past few months I’ve learnt a lot about feedback. I’ve been giving lots of feedback on presentations delivered to me as part of an ongoing training programme.
Plus, whilst training to become an accredited coach, I’ve received lots of feedback on my own coaching approach.
Here’s my key lessons.
Originality is Nothing But Judicious Imitation
Managing Energy in a Workshop - Five Key Watch-Outs
The energy you feel in a workshop stems from the efforts of the facilitator. In a previous post, I explain how to manage this. However, the facilitator also has the power to destroy the workshop’s energy. Often without realising it. Please avoid these mistakes.
Coaching vs Mentoring vs Teaching vs Counselling
Supporting others in this difficult time is essential. So, when your friends or co-workers ask for your help, how do you react? Most people just dive into offering solutions. Instead, learn to hold back, listen and figure out what kind of help they really need. Spend time immersing yourself in their problem.
Broadly, there are then 5 potential approaches you could take.
How 'Can If' Thinking is Saving Us
To survive this crisis we need to find answers quickly. We can no longer say ‘we can’t because…’ we need to say ‘we can if…’ . This simple shift in emphasis is having a transformative effect on overcoming the challenges posed by Covid-19. We’re forced to think of workarounds. We’re forced to break conventions.
The Renaissance of La Cucina Povera
5 Ways to Make Your Presentation Memorable
One of the most insightful books I’ve read on presentations was Nancy Duarte’s Resonate, where she recommended we always look to create S.T.A.R moments in presentations - ie Something, They’ll Always Remember. It’s a great piece of advice. Throughout our business careers we sit through and deliver many presentations, but how many are truly memorable? Here’s a few suggestions on how to ensure your presentation stands the test of time.