5 tips for playing your best ad game
Sports have shaped much of my life - from swimming at a younger age to playing lacrosse in college. Many of the skills learned playing sports apply to my day-to-day role in advertising, which led me to realize - it’s more like a team sport than a solitary endeavor.
Within any role in an agency, but particularly as a strategist - you can’t do it alone. I learned this quickly. No matter how smart you are, your team is critical to the work. Your account and project management teams are like your coaches - cheering you on, managing clients, and pushing you to get to the finish line. Your creative team members are your teammates that make the big plays - they make the work that wins (or loses) the big game. And of course, there’s plenty of other team members in between, all of which are critical to play your best.
5 tips to play your best game as a member of your agency team:
You’re not the only one on the field, no matter how good you are.
Like I said, no one can play the game alone, and just because you’re good, doesn’t mean you can’t learn and grow from your team. Take in feedback. Get better. You can always sharpen your skills, and you can always learn something new. As a strategist, it sometimes feels like everyone wants you to have all the answers, but the work you provide will be better if you collaborate with the larger team, instead of owning everything yourself.
You’re going to lose sometimes, and that’s okay.
Vulnerability is hard in advertising. But the reality is, you can’t win every game as a team - just like you can’t win every new business pitch, and you can’t nail every project. Sometimes, shit happens. That’s okay. Accept the loss as a team and look forward to the next opportunity.
Anyone can contribute at any moment in the game, no matter your role.
You don’t have to have the title “strategist” to provide strategic input. And you don’t have to be a creative to have a great idea. Playing a game is the same way - sometimes, you have to step up and play defense, even if you’re an attacker. But respect your teammates who own their craft - avoid telling everyone how to do their own roles.
Your role as a teammate includes pushing your team to be better.
This was a particular lesson I learned on the lacrosse field. If you see your teammate slacking, respectfully support them by letting them know what they can do better. This must be done with respect, but any good team can push themselves to be better as a unit. And if you receive feedback from someone else, take it and apply it to your work to make it stronger.
Have fun.
Working in advertising is supposed to be fun - remember that no matter how important the project, the account or the pitch, you should still enjoy what you’re doing and help others around you have a good time too. If you aren’t having fun, maybe you’re in the wrong agency, the wrong role, or the wrong industry all together.
