We’re being complacent – taking the soft option with pay cuts and messaging – in our approach to COVID-19
From not implementing tough cuts now or preparing for staff morale and productivity to fall off a cliff, to the CMO unhelpfully saying they won’t be cutting their agency retainers: Chris Savage thinks industry leaders are being complacent, when they cannot afford to be.
The creative and communications industry is moving too slowly to address the business crisis brought on by COVID-19. We need to do more, and fast, if we are to have no regrets.
At the moment, many agency leaders are simply being complacent. And it’s understandable. We hate taking tough actions. We hope for the best. And if we don’t own the agency, and it’s not our home on the line, it’s even easier to err towards being passive.
We’re also all in ‘strategic grief’. The phases of this ‘commercial grief’ are almost identical to life loss grief: denial, anger, rationalising, despair, acceptance. Most agency leaders are still early on in this process.
What are the clear, smart ideas?
You’ve criticised everyone for giving interviews and saying nothing but go on to do interviews where you say nothing but cut staff, retainers and budgets.
An article filled with over the top and unsubstantiated generalisations aimed at getting clicks and companies to hire him for advice. This should be less of an opinion piece and more of an advertorial.
Business focused advice for short term pain relief.
Why does this guy keep getting coverage on Mumbrella? He has nothing positive to say at all. Seems incredibly out of touch and wants to just wants provoke a reaction.
Would Chris also publicly commit to sharing the profits with his employees, if they also have to share the pain? This is why there is such a trust deficit in leadership when they want juniors to take the brunt of the pain but don’t get to share in the profits, WPP doesn’t have a bonus scheme.
Why have you elected yourself as King Covid Crisis?
No one wants you to speak on these issues and god I hope you’re not still getting paid your full salary when this is the output and other, brilliant, people have lost their jobs.
Agree with all sentiments expressed here why is mumbrella attaching so much credibility to his opinions he is pitched as the messiah.
Like few weeks ago a senior agency person tells the industry have to get clients to see opportunities in a global disaster like talking it up and from what I recollect his comments got smashed as self centred and hopelessly out of touch. Mumbrella moderate what stories you choose to publish not just drop a word here and there.
Chris is absolutely spot on. The businesses that recognise the extent of this crisis early and act will be the ones that make it to the other side. The businesses that stay in denial won’t make it. It’s as simple as that. I’m enjoying reading his perspective. It’s authentic, albeit a little painful when I sit back and think that he is right and I need to push harder at a different future.
Better to be the AFL or Qantas than the ARU or Virgin on this.
Thanks Chris.
When they say leadership is a lonely game, this is what they mean. A man like Chris steps up and takes leadership on issues where other leaders are looking for guidance. And most of the commenters just provide simple attacks against him as a person, not even the ideas themselves. Do you know how lonely that makes you feel? When the people you are trying to save, don’t even have enough courage to consider your ideas?
Through dark days and uncertain times, Chris provides ideas and options that others haven’t yet considered. He shares his insights gathered from many agencies of all shapes and sizes and he provides a Google Maps view of the situation. There is no-one in the agency landscape – network or indie – who has more of a finger on the pulse than Chris.
Some great advice here. Ignore the haters, this is how to lead through this.
Thanks for the comments. I completely understand why many would feel differently to my views. Fair enough! I don’t like my views either! Thanks too for the calls/messages of support from agency leaders and so many industry staff, not all who agree with me, but understand the positive intent. I read this today on leadership: “Acknowledging your fears and yet still speaking out, taking the decisions and instigating the action that you know to be right. And it involves asking difficult questions or voicing unpopular opinion.” It reminded me of New York Governor Cuomo. That’s leadership. Many recoil hearing the message and punch out against it. Or at least they did, until he was proved right. His mantra – No complacency. No regrets.
Can’t wait for your next SAVAGE advertorial mumbrella, should we all work for free and take out loans to give to our employers next?!
Not attacking Chris but questioning his ideas. In his opening point he states ‘Our employees and colleagues are responding much better to decisive, brutally honest, direct messaging and leadership (delivered with some personality and charisma), than to messaging clouded in too much compassion, empathy, and half-truths.’
Yet a few paragraphs later he states owners should say “We’ll do all we can to minimise impacts on jobs,” which is a complete contradiction to that earlier statement. It’s written in the context of removing staff which makes it a complete half-truth and trying to portray compassion.
Here’s the one take out everyone needs to take from this crisis.
When the shit hits the fan, your company will put profits ahead of your livelihood and wellbeing. This was always the case, but the number of middle-management and junior staff with misplaced loyalty to companies that I’ve counselled over the years need to finally take heed. You are not your job. You’ll figure this out. But do not work for free and do not help the company at expense to your own interests. Never work “on a promise”. This means nothing in the corporate space. The people in the company may be very nice but the company doesn’t care about you.