My father and father-in-law both served in WW2. My father was in the German army and my father-in-law was in the Canadian Navy. They didn’t see each other much because my family lives in Toronto and my wife’s family lives in Winnipeg.

I remember the 1st time they met. They talked about a lot of different things for a long time and about the war for a short time. Then I remember them agreeing on the stupidity and the futility of that war, the one that preceded it – and all of those that have followed since.

My father came to Canada with his wife and five children (and me on the way) to escape conflict and conscription – and to give Petra, Henry, August, Martin, Barbara and me a better life.

My wife, Michelle, and I went to the Winnipeg Legislature Buildings this morning to remember Heinrich Wilhelm Wehrmann and Robert Bernard Convey as well as all the others who have stood on guard for us for all these years.

If we’re as smart as we claim to be, why can’t we figure this shit out?

Over the years I’ve worked on a lot of different accounts with many, many clients including George and Bruno who were both real clients.

Now, here’s why I miss George but not Bruno.

While George didn’t believe that advertising could help the Canadian division of the international Brand he managed, he kept an objective, open mind and listened to reason.  Every call, letter, fax or e-mail from George began with ‘Dear Frank, could you please’ and ended with ‘Thank-you very much.’ He showed me, our agency his team-mates, the franchise and his customers how common courtesy, common sense and the common touch can be used to build a brand-loyal service business one customer at a time by addressing our basic need for acceptance, dignity and respect.

The collateral benefit of George’s approach included the following – and more:

• he brought out the best in me as an individual,
• he encouraged me to become a great, not just a good, agency director,
• he offered our Agency the benefit of the doubt when things went wrong and heaped on the praise when things went right,
• At George’s meetings you parked your ego at the door because the meetings probed and challenged emotions and intellect to ensure all stakeholders agreed with, could support and would defend the decisions that were made there.
• We all worked long hard for George, and the brand he led and managed.

In the end we proved George wrong. Our promotions worked so well that we often ended the campaigns earlier than planned. George was happy to be proved wrong!

Bruno was a very different man. He had a sign on his desk: “If anything goes wrong – someone will die”. Professionally he didn’t like Partnerships. He had one with his wife, and that’s it. He expected people to do as they were told, no questions asked. Bruno liked being in charge and in control. It was important that we all thought that Bruno was brilliant - even when he was being a dick.

While Bruno was a regular guest at our agency, and was always available for a cross country TV shoot, lunch, dinner and golf, to make the most of any event the spotlight had to be on Bruno from start to finish.

Bruno did whatever it took to make his numbers and did not care who got thrown under the bus when additional traction or a lighter load were called for. He never expressed appreciation because, in his mind, we didn’t exist. Or if we did, only by his grace.

While people like Bruno may have a role in our society, it’s definitely not in any play that involves marketing, advertising - let alone customer service.

Great ideas are most often discovered where a key operational insight and an emotional contradiction collide like a pair of freight trains. Getting to that intersection takes intelligence, leadership, teamwork, insight and trust.

In the end Bruno lost most of the business that advertising brought in because his operations could not consistently deliver on the claims and promises that he insisted on making in advertising.

THEN . . . 

Long before the internet, computers, cell phones, (Motorola) mobile hand sets and pagers, sales organizations used weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual business meetings and (in-house) training sessions to help them instill a sense of loyalty in their (field) sales force. Those meetings also helped all of those not working in the head office to remain connected to their head office support teams and to refresh their personal business network. Importantly, most of these people spent a lot of time working with and training under head-office managers before they were let loose in their “territory”. 

They knew the management team, and it knew them. 

TODAY . . .     

A recent study in the Economist suggests that the majority of people will quit their current job if they are “forced” to go back to the office “full time”. Given that most media are telling us that most organizations are looking for qualified staff, the employment prospects look pretty good for those who want to keep working and are willing to show up in the office. Working remotely has allowed many employees to earn "big-city wages" while working from a small-town home, or a foreign country like Portugal, with zero clothing, lunch, parking or commuting expenses (car depreciation and insurance). 

A WHILE FROM NOW . . . 

Life in the small-town home you moved to a few years ago is great. Your work is challenging, the pay and benefits are great and the core hours are pretty much 9-5. There’s a lot more time for family, friends and outside interests. While small town entertainment options and social attitudes are a pain at times, it’s nothing compared to how your friends describe their big-city slog. 

Suddenly . . . a major management change at head-office changes everything. The new senior managers don’t know you and don’t recall ever talking to you. Frankly they couldn’t pick you out of a crowded room if their lives depended on it. When they restructure, they decide that they no longer require your services. Now what? 

The only jobs in town are part-time, and pay minimum wage. And you start at 6 a.m.

Your 500+ Linked In network is silent.

You check out the online job-sites and find some relevant \ interesting openings. They're between 200 and 2,000 km. away, and your resume submission is number 250. 

"Thanks for your interest and your submission. We wish you all the best with your future endeavours. Don't call us, we’ll call you if you make our short list." 

While some of your friends were laid off too, those who had been going into the office either F\T or P\T have already landed jobs elsewhere, often with the old or new management’s help. It looks like all of that commuting and in-management’s-face-time paid off. Your F\T or P\T friends have multiple leads for other interesting opportunities that they turned down, but they can’t really help you or refer you because their network doesn’t know you, your personality, style or work. They wish you all the best. "Keep in touch!"

You’re on your own. 

This is the scenario that millions of short-sighted people who love working from home full time are experiencing. 

Those who will do well in the future are the same people who did well before the COVID driven work-from home paradigm shift kicked in. 

Their priority is “climbing the corporate (or economic) ladder better than their peers do” in order to achieve financial independence by a reasonable age; say 55.

Their focus is not on “work-life balance”.

There’s no right or wrong answer here as long as you choose your path with your eyes wide open are fully aware of the repercussions. 

Enjoy your day and your journey.

I'm reading a great book about how the brain works. Memorable stuff needs to appeal to you on an intuitive and emotional basis - not on a logical basis.

The logo on the left, while 'cute', it has a logical bias - helping me understand the brand name by showing me a picture of a crocodile. But it doesn't tell me what the brand manufactures. 

The logo on the right is far more creative and intuitive.

And more memorable.