Episode 59: The Fallacy Of The Lone Wolf
The idea of being the lone wolf is an attractive one for the strategist. As generalists whose skills are in high demand, it is easy to feel like a singular talent whose best path would be as a sole contributor. This idea is a mistake. We have actively explored the fact that the skill set we bring and cultivate as strategists is an unusual combination … Continue reading Episode 59: The Fallacy Of The Lone Wolf
Episode 58: The Stoic Strategist
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength”. Almost 2,000 years ago, the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote his masterpiece, Meditations, ‘a literary monument to a philosophy of service and duty, describing how to find and preserve equanimity in the midst of conflict by following nature as a source of guidance and inspiration’. I believe that the philosophy he … Continue reading Episode 58: The Stoic Strategist
Episode 57: The Power Of Brevity
‘I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead’. Mark Twain would have been writing about digital practitioners had he written that today. How many times have we sat through interminable presentations with 140 slides of data, minutely dissecting every point, speculating endlessly on the causes of fluctuations in performance? For people who work in communications, we sometimes find … Continue reading Episode 57: The Power Of Brevity
Episode 56: In Defence Of Being Difficult – Here’s To The Mad Ones
‘The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop … Continue reading Episode 56: In Defence Of Being Difficult – Here’s To The Mad Ones
Episode 55: Don’t Be A Strategist – The Case For The Prosecution
Writing in Quartz, Kevin Delaney recently stated that he doesn’t “think anyone should have the word strategy in their job title”. Needless to say, I beg to differ. But what is the basis of the argument he articulates? What is the case for the prosecution? The first of the two points he makes is that ‘the distance between strategy and execution is unfathomably wide for most … Continue reading Episode 55: Don’t Be A Strategist – The Case For The Prosecution
Episode 54: Be Water, My Friend
Many years ago, while scuba diving in Dahab in the Sinai I watched as an octopus fought for its life. Perched on the side of an underwater cliff, this octopus was being attacked by half a dozen fish. These fish were working together to pull it off the wall and out into the open water where presumably they were going to tear it apart. Every time it … Continue reading Episode 54: Be Water, My Friend
Episode 53: Innovation Through Conflict
“In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love – they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock”. That’s Orson Welles as Harry Lime in the 1949 classic, The Third Man. The subtext is clear; … Continue reading Episode 53: Innovation Through Conflict
Episode 52: Working With In-House Teams – How Not To Be Left On The Outside Looking In
There is an undeniable trend towards building in-house teams and away from using agency services. This trend has led to fierce debate and introspection in agency land, not to mention a fair amount of self-pity. But I would argue that if handled appropriately, this is a positive development that should be embraced and that reinforces the value of the digital strategist. The trend to building … Continue reading Episode 52: Working With In-House Teams – How Not To Be Left On The Outside Looking In
Episode 51: Finding The Stamina For Long Term Success
Strategy is not a short lived endeavour. It is the mechanism to make sense of chaos and to achieve success over the long term. But staying focused on a long term objective and executing consistently is difficult. It needs single minded purpose. It needs a clear understanding of objectives and expected outcomes. It needs inspiration. And it needs stamina. Inspiration is valued in our culture. … Continue reading Episode 51: Finding The Stamina For Long Term Success
Episode 50: Work/Life Balance Is A Lie – Why Work/Life Integration Is The Key To Success
Everything you have been told is a lie. There is no such thing as work/life balance in our industry since it is based on the assumption that the work stops at some point. But the work doesn’t stop because the Internet does not sleep. In a globalized world, where your audience, your competition and your clients are constantly changing and demanding, there is no way … Continue reading Episode 50: Work/Life Balance Is A Lie – Why Work/Life Integration Is The Key To Success
Octopus Digital Strategy 