News

Industries

Companies

Jobs

Events

People

Video

Audio

Galleries

My Biz

Submit content

My Account

Advertise with us

Is there such a thing as the perfect agency?

In the 18 years that I've been working in agencies, I've heard about that place - where clients give hand-written briefs; and where interns and AD's live in perfect harmony, sharing the load of media coverage clippings. Ah, yes! The perfect agency!...

Well, wisdom (and age) has taught me a few things. Firstly - whoever told me that there is such a thing as a perfect agency lied to me! Perfection in its very essence is an elusive state that we as humans aspire to - yet never reach. As individuals, we are not perfect. We can be the best that God created us to be; but never perfect.

Secondly, the dissatisfaction, irritability, and unpleasantness you think you are leaving behind in pursuit of the perfect agency, somehow tend to follow you around! This is because you may leave people, places and things behind, but you take your perceptions with you. And until you chose to change your perception of your current position, you will never enjoy the beauty of it.

So I'd like to encourage you to start thinking differently about the agency you work in now. Do five things today that will show you quickly where the greatest need for changed perception for you is:

    1. Look at your CV - if the amount of time spent at your last position was less than six-eight months, you've got 'weekend special' tendencies (hahaha)! Employers are not looking for a 'weekend special' - they are looking for commitment and loyalty. #startasyouplantofinish

    2. Look around at the people you work with. When you stop judging them based on their circumstance, dress sense, home language, nutritional choices, or their other imperfections, you will realise that you can learn from them. #nojudgementzone #teachmewhatidontknow
    3. How many accounts do you work on? Do you love all of them? If you didn't work on that account, would you even know about that brand? The answers to these questions should not stop you from loving your clients. Immerse yourself so much in a client, that you feel like an extension of that company. #loveyourclients
    4. Are you the office martyr? The one who always has more on their plate than anyone else? You can't dare to go to the toilet, lest you miss an email. You 'forget' to each lunch. And you drive your colleagues crazy! If you are always sending the last email of the day (at about 12 midnight), copying the world, you are likely neglecting yourself as you try and show everyone around you how hard you work. Replace hard work with smart work. #worksmart #getoveryourself

    5. Do you keep a letter of resignation on your memory stick, or have you practised your resignation speech out loud? Either print it out and submit it NOW! Or forget it and change your perceptions. #changeyourthinking #changeyourlife

There is no such thing as the perfect agency. Instead, there are companies with individuals whose perception of their work is tuned into the positive, every day, through every challenge.

And in the bigger scheme of things, that's the closest thing to perfection that you may find.

About Khuthalani Khumalo

Khuthalani is a communications strategist, voice over artist, freelancer, proof reader, self-proclaimed CANVA-guru.
Let's do Biz