OPINION14 December 2015
Small acts of generosity in business can show respect but, conversely, small indiscretions can build into bigger problems.
As we enter the season of giving, the annual dilemmas loom. All things considered, what style and quantum of gift are appropriate, given my relationships with the lucky recipients? Do I edge out on to the ice and buy an actual present (assuming I haven’t already been briefed!) or play it safe with an Amazon voucher (like last year). If I console myself with the maxim that it’s the thought that counts, what if it’s deemed to be not a very good thought?
These reflections remind me of a blog I read earlier in the year – ‘No, you are not running late, you are rude and selfish’, by Greg Savage. In considering the dynamics of any relationship, when it falls under the spotlight, there is one factor which will cause it to flourish or fail, namely respect.
This is particularly true in business where it takes more than mutual regard to establish a working relationship. Both parties will need to show the will and expertise to complete the assignment in question. But the potential for a lack of respect to diminish – and ultimately kill – the relationship is easy to underestimate.
Small acts of neglect, like ‘running late’ in Savage’s blog, punch well above their weight on the respect scale. I recall conducting a relationship evaluation for an advertising agency a while ago. One of their clients was a train company which had recently moved its marketing team into fashionable new offices. The vibe there was informal and the agency loved visiting. They continued to bring great work but started to drive the clients mad.
Why? Executing ambitious creative work can put a strain on the most robust relationships but mainly the agency team had allowed the casual feel of the client premises to corrupt their attitude to timekeeping. They had begun habitually to show up late for meetings.
The agency had missed one vital point. To capture the frustrations of the senior client: ‘They don’t understand, Paul. Yes, we want to work in a pleasing, stimulating environment but we are a timetable company. If the 08.04 leaves at 08.09, we get an earful. It’s part of our DNA to run to schedule across the whole business.’
In keeping with the quality of this agency, the relationship was re-booted. But it was a close call. The issue was not a few minutes here and there but a fundamental respect for a client’s business purpose and effectiveness.
On the positive side, small acts of generosity can both show and generate respect, helping build a level of trust which powerfully underpins relationships and buys time when inevitably the going gets tough on the work front.
And, in this context, research companies are sitting on a fortune. Regardless of economic indicators, clients want more for less. They value quality and consistency from the team on their business but they also expect to benefit from the full range of expertise and experience within the grasp of the individual, agency or group.
A specific area of opportunity is highlighted by the fact that clients tend to be very focused on what’s happening in their own sectors. They can often fail to look beyond their defined market and competitive set. But valuable knowledge, and sometimes game-changing insight, can come from an idea which has been successfully executed elsewhere.
Research agencies and practitioners are well placed to draw from the breadth and depth of the projects they undertake and offer external referencing and benchmarking which cross boundaries, both sectoral and geographical. If this intelligence can be imaginatively consolidated, it can add value to clients and be a highly cost-effective business development tool.
However you celebrate the end of December, have a great time. And, as far as presents are concerned, it is the thought that counts and respect for your donee will lead you to the right thought.
Paul Tredwell is director of Bigfoot Consulting