‘It’s not brain surgery’

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I’ve worked in several market research roles – in fieldwork (Research Now), full-service research (MESH Experience) and in media (UM London). Each has involved seasons of varied kinds of stress – mainly, the healthy kind, that a previous boss called the “growing edge” – keeping comfort zones at bay and experiencing growth. 

Throughout my career, however, there have also been moments when delivery pressure transcended from healthy, productive stress into brain-cramping, sleep-snatching, cuticle-massacring stress. The common chorus among those around me during these moments was “come on now, it’s not brain surgery… it’s only market research”. But this can feel a scant comfort when faced with an imminent deadline. 

The frequent purpose of our output – to quantify business performance and illuminate best steps to improve it – means a great deal can hinge on the reports we deliver. By its very nature, our industry is given to highly pressurised delivery – after months of work, everyone is looking to our team to deliver the crescendo of an ‘a-ha’.

A news story stayed with me from last year. It was about Professor Johannes Haushofer, a Princeton academic, who published a CV of his career failures to “balance the record” and encourage others to persist when faced with disappointment. Inspired by his candour, I’m going to share a story with you. 

A few years ago, at the very start of my job at UM, I charted a series of datapoints using an incorrect base. The data was not part of the final debrief, but in an early read that our client had requested. Unfortunately, it made its way to the very top of my client’s company, and one of my incorrect data points went on to be shared at a board meeting. It was the stuff of nightmares – I felt I had let everyone down. Once I realised – and while I was preparing the full debrief – I immediately flagged it with our client. It was a tense call, but, again, “it’s not brain surgery; no-one died on the table”. 

Crushed by this misfire, low-level anxiety – which I had been feeling during a busy spell at work – worsened into medical anxiety. I woke up one Monday morning three years ago unable to go to work. I went to my GP and explained I’d been struggling to sleep, and that I felt continuous, nauseating worry. He offered to write a letter that would allow me to be off work for a fortnight, but it didn’t feel like a good solution. 

Instead, I accepted another proposal from the doctor – cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). I explained all to my boss and they were very understanding, saying that honest mistakes are inevitable and to take the time to focus on feeling better. I appreciate not everyone is that lucky, but it is always worth talking to your boss – and your employer does have a duty of care. It took two months to complete the CBT and around two years fully to shake the low-level anxiety. 

The experience made me a stronger professional. If you’re a manager or client reading this, I’d urge you to consider this a tale ‘from the other side’, and to engage empathy when dealing with scenarios such as this. 

There have been many articles on the virtues of mindfulness and exercise in beating stress, but I have some tips that are more specific to market research.

Manage robustly: The best way to avoid mistakes is to factor enough time into a reporting timeline. This can take guts, as clients invariably want to deliver insights to their businesses without delay, or to meet critical deadlines. Sometimes, it won’t be possible to follow a sensible timeline; in these cases, project teams should be kept energised to work intensively and out of hours, with the prospect of a breather once delivery is done. Late-night pizzas can make a charting spree more palatable.

Own it: If a mistake has happened, one of the most empowering things you can do is to take responsibility for it. This is the hallmark of a professional who is secure in their skills. If the thought of owning up seems inconceivable, you’re probably working in the wrong place, and it is likely that blame is systemic at all levels of your organisation. 

Mission: Recovery. If the mistake is similar to mine, create a team of two to three data checkers to divide up a deliverable and systematically ensure the entire report is error-free. The feeling of confidence you’ll have when re-issuing the corrected deliverable will be vital in moving on.

Find a friend: Find someone at work you like and trust, and talk over the problem with them. Ideally, it should be someone familiar with the client context. Worried conversation can drain others’ energy, so try to have one focused discussion rather than multiple chats. Ideally, consult them off-site, so your work-space doesn’t become coloured by heavy worry, and to help with objectivity.

Avoid spirals: Once problems are verbalised, try not to talk about them over and over, as the cyclical effect of this can create a feeling of hopelessness. Don’t load more people than necessary with your predicament – not least because telling half the office will perpetuate and amplify the issue.

Recruit a Yoda: The episode I described gave rise to me gaining a mentor. I briefed the senior account lead for this client – a managing partner at my agency – who shared helpful, wise words that made a big difference to my being able to move on.

The power of eggs: Forge human business relationships. Don’t be a faceless name in an inbox. Spend the time and money to build meaningful rapport with your clients. Don’t be afraid to show them how much you care about their brands and their business. If clients know you are doing your best – and that you’re a partner rather than simply a supplier – they should be much more likely to empathise if an honest mistake is made.

Guard your time: Block out time in your work calendar (say, one evening a week) when you leave the office on time and do something that pleases you. Diversifying your interests and spending your time in a rewarding way, will give you a feeling of ownership of your time and peace of mind.

Landmark moments: Study your typical morale and energy trajectory across the year, and book holidays accordingly. Stave off morale slumps by punctuating the year with exciting plans and trips. 

Michael Brown is insight director at UM London