by Sammy-Jane Thom, Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi So I’ve joined a running programme that takes you from beginner status to half-marathoner and then full marathoner in roughly 7 months. Reactions are varied but tend to sit in either the “wow” or “seriously?!” camp. Despite incredulous looks from colleagues, I have realised that there are, surprisingly, a lot of parallels between running and a day at the office.
Believe in the impossible as a starting point
I was not born a runner and I have the genes of many generations of Irish women before me where our bodies tend to store every potato we eat
in preparation for the next famine. However, after 8 weeks I am now running just over 10kms with the seemingly impossible idea of running 42kms in July.
We work in an industry that allows us to live in a realm of possibility. A place that allows us to think of transformational ideas that evolve, amplify, expand, improve and engage. Coming to work in a realm of possibility means adjusting your headspace, not your clients or the colour of your office wall.
It’s seeing the possibility in everything. It’s starting every day, every meeting and every review with the Possibility Approach. Ordinary ideas don’t get you onto the stage or invited into the lives of millions. There is no space for ordinary in possibility. There is however ample space for humility, risk-taking and failure. There’s always space for questions, improvement and curiosity. But best of all, there’s room for team, inclusion and a sense of us.
Give me a T-E-A-M
What do a German model, ex-South African swimmer, a competitive cyclist and a woman who climbed Kilimanjaro for her birthday have in common? They are my team mates and they can run. They are the ones I’m accountable to and who in turn keep me running up the hills. Surround yourself with top class resource to help you achieve your goal.
James Griffiths, business leader at Saatchi London, highlights teamwork as the contributing factor to T-Mobile’s highly successful and viewed (26 million) stunts on YouTube. Hire carefully, prioritise grit (better than ambition), intelligence and cultural fit (not conformity but shared values).
“We try and find people who are aligned philosophically but have different passions” – Paul Malmstrom of Mother. And if you inherited the 9 to 5 suit or self-congratulatory creative, apply the filter of Possibility.
Just do it
There is a vast difference between dreaming it and doing it. Sleeping-in never covered any mileage. In the same way, aside from the Print Category, ideas were never meant to stay on paper. In order to come to life, your idea needs you to be brave.
It needs you to put in the preparation and take care of the details. Your idea needs you to be persistent. Don’t give up too easily. There comes a time when you need to call it, but then know that you gave it your best. Your idea requires action.
“It’s more important to get stuck in, than be very good” – Andrew Shoben of Grey World.
Blood, sweat and tears
The worst thing that I have encountered in running is probably gravity, otherwise known as hills and steps. Between gasping, heaving and dragging leaden legs, and retrieving lungs that have exited body, I realise that after hill one I now face stairway to Heaven, via Hell.
After the fifth step I begin hanging on passersby with desperate facial expressions before losing remaining dignity and dropping to all fours to continue climb. Yes, as much as running requires sacrifice, so does creativity.
Creativity is unreasonable. It demands a lot and makes you feel uncomfortable. For some it is jam sandwiches and no sleep for a year. Perhaps its late nights having a meltdown instead of a drink, or giving up a salary or profit for the first two years? Whatever it is, creativity is going to take it.
Let go of the nunu blankie
The alarm goes off and through blurry eyes you can’t make out a thing. That’s because it’s still dark, very dark. Then you see that’s it raining, you stand up and realise that someone has swapped your body for an anvil and you only have 5 minutes to get to the meeting point of a new running route, at the base of a mountain.
Conditions are not always ideal, but sometimes this is exactly what you need. Creativity is not waiting for the perfect environment, partner or salary. In fact, creativity flourishes in adverse conditions. Obstructions such as budget or language or media can result in a focused approach and ultimately better ideas.
Remember Droga 5’s launch of Puma’s Bodywear collection with The Puma Index? They did it in the recession to stores globally with no media budget at all. Results: 130 million media impressions, one of the Top 20 Apps of the year and a Silver Pencil at One Show.
As designer Paul Sahre said, “Nothing interesting happens if you know where you are going; trust in the unknown and design whatever you want”. A sentiment echoed by Clive van Heerden; “Don’t stick to your comfort zones, enter through the cat flap”.
Why so serious
Being competitive and pushing yourself beyond reasonable limits can result in a joyless experience. A healthy determination tempered with a large dose of humour is a prerequisite for competing in an unpredictable environment.
At some point the pain should give way to enjoyment, check in with yourself once a while to make sure that 70% of your days are still fun. After all, “You learn better if you can laugh” – Sissel Tolaas.