The Indiefield Blog

It's easy to look for the fastest perceived solution to fix a problem. Usually a client, a staff member, or the public at large is to blame. So the project was lost because the bid didn't win or the sales are down because the marketing is wrong. But sometimes you must step back and take a deeper look. Maybe the customer journey is unclear or you have lots of tech that doesn't quite work and still think more tech is the answer. When an underlying problem is not solved first the problem will always continue.

Everyone is always running from point to point, paying no real attention, taking nothing in. It's hard to get anyone's attention for long these days. Far better to concentrate on the few that are willing to slow down, to stop lurching from supplier to supplier, and who actually pay attention and stick around for the ride.

Erika Mitchell was originally publishing her own fan fiction based on the Twilight books and films. She found it such a thrill that she created a new pseudonym and again she self-published. But this time the on-demand print sales turned into thousands and by the time Fifty Shades of Grey was re-released by Vintage Books in 2012 it became the fastest selling paperback of all time in the UK. It's part of our DNA to wait to be picked - to send our work off and to wait for approval. For the HR Manager to offer us the job. For the client to pick our proposal. For the industry leader (or the industry itself) to offer its approval. So if there's a chance to pick yourself then you take it - HR, the client, the industry will soon follow.

Apparently it is possible to visit the Eiffel Tower in Paris for the first time and see nothing new or exciting. Same with The Colosseum in Rome. So it seems that it's possible to miss "the big idea" because we only see what we want to see. That's why fieldwork is so important. If you want to understand a Mercedes driver go and spend some time with him or her; if you want to see how a busy Mum operates talk to her about getting the children off to school in the morning; if you want to understand how Financial Directors have weathered the pandemic sit down and crunch their thoughts and their numbers. Only when you understand things can you really offer up the ideas.

Stephen Fry once said that the joy of 70s supergroup ABBA was: "That they were far, far, better than they needed to be. There was a dedicated pursuit of pop craft that offered an undefinable elevated and inspirational quality to what they did.". Let's all aim to be far, far, better than we need to be.

In the middle of a stage play actor Michael Sheen broke character and asked an audience member to switch off their phone. He understands that all work is a work of co-creation and if the other party is not working with you, egging you on and encouraging you then they are not doing their part - they are actually tearing you down. He is a professional and so are you. I am not asking you to halt a performance at The National Theatre. But I am asking you to demand that you get the attention you deserve.

None of us like to get hurt and we work hard to protect ourselves. For some people getting hurt means a client that is not satisfied no matter how hard you tried to please them; for others it is a boss that called out a mistake on a project. But the question I am asking is what does it really cost to project yourself? What does it cost to duck down and avoid the hit? All the time ducking and hiding could stop you stretching and growing. So forgive the client that was annoyed. Forgive the tactless boss. Focus on how great you are because ducking and diving is no good for anyone.

These ready-made cheese balls are very successful because they are loved by kids and adults and are the ultimate lunchbox snack - convenient, 100% real cheese, free from added colours, flavours, and preservatives - and they are fun! They were born in mini form in 1977 and have been a best seller ever since. So don't try to be the next Mini Babybel. That ship has sailed. Instead find out who you are and be that.

You come in on time, sometimes even early; you do everything as described in your job description and everything that your boss asks, you deliver for clients and are hardworking and loyal. You could be asking to do more than you believe you are ready for. To work on understanding what your agenda is; you could be trying to go faster and working on your legacy. Creating a world where you are the absolute linchpin of the company. I wonder what someone with all the potential you have inside you would be doing...

Once the innovation is over isn't this when the great work can begin? I don’t know who invented the piano but I do know it wasn’t Beethoven. It's only when the technorati get out of the way that the great work can really begin. The real work is about doing something that lasts and that matters. It's about connecting with others and delivering an impact that lasts. So by all means show me the next big thing but don’t be upset if I am still busy on the old big thing.

Which matters most – facts or feelings?

How do you deal with someone who disagrees with you?

Are you able to cope with multiple viewpoints?

Can you give someone else the credit?

Are you willing to change your mind?

Are there many pathways to your goal? (Bonus points if you have a goal!)

It costs a fortune to take time out and go to conferences, and other than having a blast with friends why go? Yes there are the presentations, the research papers, the innovations, and the crowded parties. Do you remember them all? I don't. So I don't do them (so go ahead and have all the fun without me). However I do remember the engaging conversations and learning through those one-on-one discussions about projects people are working on and their new book ideas - so do more of that. Seek out the great engaged conversations and the special interactions that matter.

It's easy to work lots of extra hours so that you reduce the number of tasks you have to do so that you are in control of everything and reduce your self-induced stress. But maybe sometimes it's good to feel a bit of stress to push us into a new way of thinking about how to approach things, to force ourselves to innovate, to free ourselves from the shackles of targeting reduced anxiety and forcing us onto a new and better approach.

I don't like the term "unskilled labour". It is the skills someone has that everyone possesses and is therefore devalued. Obviously skills matter - the more skills you have the higher you are likely to achieve. But unskilled still needs a re-brand.

Everyone is happier and more productive when they are trusted. It encourages co-operation between people and organisations. We like museums that let us stand near the artwork, police that don't stop and search us, restaurants that give us the bill at the end of the meal. But some companies cannot rely on trust and genuine good intentions. Banks must behave as is every transaction is a fraudulent one - it annoys us when our cards are stopped because of "unusual spending" but the banks know that people do get scammed and they behave accordingly. That trust / don't trust decision is something we all face every day. We automatically make assumptions about whether promises will be broken, how trustworthy a supplier is, how reliable the service will be. In every sector (apart from banking) it is probably better to trust than not to. You are more likely to get the result you need.

And isn't that all that matters? Being famous in your group or your tribe? I mean I know Andy Warhol predicted that everyone will have their 15 minutes of fame but what if we already do. Maybe just being known (and loved) by the people that matter most is, in the end, all that matters.

We all know that the best suppliers anticipate your needs before you are able to fully articulate them. It goes beyond putting yourself in the other person's shoes and walking around in them. Because you can never be them, you can only be you. So sometimes you need to drop your beliefs, expectations, and view of the world in order to know what is the best thing to do for your client. To understand where they are coming from and to make sure they get where they need to be.

Most people find it easy to make promises and less easy to keep them, and if you're not careful, it builds up against you. So the first thing to understand is what your promise actually is and why it is important. Once you understand your promise and know why your promise is important, you will not only work very hard to keep it, but it will go on to inspire just about every decision you make moving forward. Think about the places that you love to go to - the places you like to eat, shop or get a haircut. It is highly likely that they have become places you visit not just for the quality service but for the familiar, friendly faces you see and the fact that they already know what you need before you say a word. This kind of service not only sounds really nice but exists because everyone involved is keeping their promise to you. The business understands the promise it made to you, and it keeps its promise. And the business delivers for you.

When faced with facts and proof we expect a rational person to make an intelligent decision on what is better. But that does not always happen. People make decisions based on hope, fear, what others appear to be doing, and what they believe has worked in the past. Viral stories and shocking testimonies can trump detailed data. We see this with the anti-vax movement. Ultimately they believe that vaccines do not really work and have hurt more people than helped. There is no point having endless fact-based discussions. No amount of data will change their mind because "it's all fake and it all comes from big pharma". What's needed is a series of stories and testimonials from those in the group who have changed their minds. These mind changing stories need to be shouted. The ripple effect will begin. Over time more will change their minds. It may take a while but it will happen. The proof of it is that these days it's very hard to find people that still believe the earth is flat.

Most people think that you are showing your true colours when you are stressed and striving to meet a deadline, dealing with a serious problem at work, doing something that makes your question your moral code, suddenly find yourself in charge and have a chance to throw your weight around, get caught when you thought no-one could see you, get a chance to punish someone who has harmed you, or are completely crushed by your problems. This is when you need to tell your story. This is when people need to hear the truth about you.