DAVE HARDY
Transformative Leadership / Brand Strategy / Creative Direction

Steal These Ideas

Being bold isn’t easy. If it were, we’d see the evidence of it among the many and not the few. As a student of brand and creative strategy, I see the product of the connection between our fears and our tendency to embrace mediocrity. With 25 years building brands and teams in the agency space, I want to explore ways to see challenges as opportunities and to discover how to harness what holds us back.

The 50% Rule

I love it when I receive a piece of advice that transforms how I work.

A few years ago, sat in a pub in Winnipeg with Marty Neumeier I asked if he had any magic advice for me. He shared a simple tidbit that altered my approach to work.

Enter the 50% rule. It's quite straightforward. Say you have a two-week assignment, by the end of the first week, or at the 50% mark, everyone on the team should be in alignment regarding the direction or idea.

It's simple, yet, when executed correctly, it can have a profound impact on your life and the workflow in your agency.

This rule eradicates procrastination. It compels the entire team to hit the ground running and eliminates the stress associated with leaving things to the last minute, a common fail.

Moreover, it compels you to prioritize the right work—the significant tasks. While there's always small stuff to handle, focusing on these might divert attention from the big ideas that can truly change the game for you; hence, they become the priority.

The result? Both your work and your life improve. By tackling the major tasks in the first 50%, the remaining 50% becomes a breeze. You can relish bringing the idea to life, confident that everyone is on board.

The agency work environment can become intense and stressful if you let it. However, if you and your team are disciplined enough, this straightforward idea has the potential to revolutionize your work, making what we do a lot more enjoyable.

Brand Strategy, Leadership, Creative StrategyDave Hardy