Estate agents, two good advertising recruiters, and a damn good advertising essay

In the past few weeks I have experienced tons of frustration coming from two different sources: estate agents and advertising recruiters. I found that the two categories share the same arrogance and lack of professionalism, fuelled by an excess of demand and lack of supply*.

Whilst the property side of things remains a source of frustration, I seem to finally be making some kind of progress with recruiters, having finally met two who seem to be taking some time to work with me in a productive way.

Re-ignited with optimism after one such meeting I decided to buy a copy of Campaign on my way back home. In it I found a great little booklet called “what is a Brand”, by Stephen King, the father of account planning. It’s an essay on the importance of branding and the role of advertising.

I normally enjoy reading about advertising, but I have to say most advertising arguments tend to be fluffy, qualitative, vague in their language. King instead uses terms like ‘retailers’, ‘manufacturers’, ‘profit margin’, ‘discount’ … in short he uses MBA language and he really really cracks it!.

I have always believed in the value of a formal approach to advertising issues, and I guess this essay is one rare and brilliant example of it. It was written in 1971, and the outcome is clear, straightforward, limpid, 35 years sooner than anybody else. I find it reassuring.

The only version I found online is here (2Meg PDF, courtesy of The Straufenberg Repository), so I really recommend buying a copy of Campaing this week. There is also a book by King, A master class in brand planning, coming out soon.
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(* I am debating whether to write a post specifically on estate agents in London)

I should have been born 15 years earlier. (at least)

And I wouldn't have missed the Police live, when they still had it.

This is Can't stand loosing you, live in 1979. I was 2.

Not Made From Wheat Made From Oats Instead abix Oatibix

this is a bit old, but i met the woman who did it on tuesday and it reminded how funny it is. enjoy.

Oxford to Cambridge. 150km

I wake up this morning with a strong sense of accomplishment and even stronger pain in my legs. Yesterday I have been riding from Oxford to Cambridge (150km). It was one of my goals for the summer.

















The start was short after 8.00am in Oxford (thanks Stefi for driving me there). It was 6 of us from LBS riding (Michael, Dan, Silvio, Phil, Gavin and me) plus 2 more who joined us later (Michael and Dan). I realised later how important it is to do these kind of rides with someone else. I don't know if I'd have managed on my own.














The first 60k were very enjoyable. Chilly autumn air, quite countryside lanes, riding as slow as possible to conserve energy. Kilometers 60 to 90 were where the climbs begun. Nothing like the alps, but enough to stiffen up your legs, which was my greatest fear.

At about 90k we took a break for lunch, and started again for the afternoon. A few more hills for another 30k, and then the final, dreadful 30k to Cambridge, with no more energy left in the legs, cramps, and a slight but annoying front wind slowing us down even more. A big thank you to Phil and Dan for riding with me in this last bit: they kept me going.

Unfortunately I don't have many pictures of the latter part of the ride, as i was too busy pedaling, but hopefully I will be able to add a few more if the other LBSers have taken some.

I will definitely do it again next year!

Strategy is a pattern in a series of decisions

There are two kinds of courses in an MBA: the technical ones, in which you learn a specific set of knowledge (concepts, frameworks, techniques, formulas) and the non-technical ones, where you reflect on a certain topic or business problem, but you are not necessarily given a ready-made answer.

I think the first type of courses are a waste of money (go to the library, buy a book, save 40 grand). The second type are more interesting, because to learn you need a good professor, a good class and a good discussion. For me, this type of courses are what the MBA is really about.

This week I have been busy in Strategies For Growth, a "type II course" and in my opinion the best course so far at LBS (see also a review from Karlitos here). The course is "is about how to create a growing firm", and is taught by the excellent prof Freek Vermeulen, who has put an enormous amount of work, research and professionalism in it.

There has been so much interesting stuff going on in the course that it would be impossible to capture it all in one post.

The most eye-opening thing for me has been understanding that strategy is not necessarily something that is designed upfront, but often emerges from the interactions between luck, the environment, the organisational culture and the manager's personality.

We have seen maybe ten case studies to prove the point, and this has left me with a pragmatic and reassuring approach to strategy making. Making strategy looking at the future is certainly a daunting prospect (and perhaps a pointless exercise, because you'll never get it right), but doing it whilst looking at the present (luck, the environment, the organisation, your personality) is certainly much more reassuring and effective.

To say it with Henry Mintzberg, perhaps "strategy is a pattern in a series of decisions".

Speakers on!

I have to admit i nicked the idea from gianni (http://www.pleon.it/web/blogs/geektalk.nsf) but ... hey: that's how it goes this morning.

Leading teams, organizations and media club

Back from holiday. Two very interesting things happening this week:

One: the LBS media club has 'opened' up again after the summer break. We had our kick-off meeting this week about 90 first year students showing up (it's a lot for the media club), followed by free drinks (which probably explains why so many people showed up). There is a lot of enthusiasm for the club from the new class, so it looks like thanks to them we will do great things this year.

Two: I started my first course of the year. It's a block-week course on "Leading teams and organizations". It's taught by a brilliant professor, and I am sitting with some truly brilliant classmates (in the picture Scott in the tower-building exercise). Main take-aways so far: a) there are different leadership styles which are appropriate to different situations. One needs to be conversant in most of them and I need to improve on a few. In particular I need to be more authoritative, which requires a vision (note to self: start posting about vision). b) My emotional intelligence is quite possibly rubbish. I need to be more aware of other people sensitivities when in a team situation (this is a long story, but I really mean it).

All in all ... good to be back.

yay!

I am on holiday for a while. During this time I will probably not bother checking my email. If you try to call me, please be aware that it might take a while before I get out of the pool and reach my phone.

Gorilla

Right, I got a bit hooked to advertsing blogs recently. There is a lot of debate going on about whether this ad is good or not. For me and for many it is. Firstly: it makes you smile, which from what I could read and speculate was the brief (chocholate=joy). Secondly: it is hugely discussed already. (search gorilla ad on google and on youtube). Finally, one particular point of interest for me: I like to observe how the ad is disseminating through the internet. The ad was created by Fallon.

my ideal job (work in progress list)

When you start making lists ... then you are really bored.

I made list of characteristics that my ideal job should have.

It's work in progress.

Here you go:

Must have:

1. The job allows me to be at home with my family most nights.
(My family are the reason why I work, not vice versa. I am not prepared to take on a job that makes me travel several days a week, but I am prepared to relocate my family abroad or to undertake a reasonable amount of travel)

2. It offers a general management challenge.
(in other words, I am not looking for a functional job, but for a general management role instead. To me that means having people and P&L responsibility as early as possible)

3. The company encourages people to become their best.

(I have been in companies where career progression is deliberately slow, where people are paid as little as possible, and where following the procedures is more important than coming up with great ideas. I think this produces average people. I want to work in a company where people are paid as much as possible, they are promoted as often as possible and they are encouraged to become as good as it gets at their work).

4. The initial salary should be at least +50% over my last salary.
(no need to explain)

Nice to have:

1. I’d like to have the opportunity for future share of equity/ partnership
2. I’d like it to be a small-ish company (max 200 people)
3. I’d like it to be a creative business (advertising, marketing consultancy, internet, etc)