HOW I CAN HELP
Bring me in where the decisions start to multiply.
Sometimes the problem is the brief. Sometimes it is everything that starts happening around it.
I can help work out the route, lead an important piece of work, or stay involved over time.
The useful work often starts before anyone starts making things.
Every job is different. The way I get into it is fairly consistent.
01 //
Understand what's really going on
Get underneath the apparent brief. What is the organisation trying to achieve, who matters, and why now?
02 //
Decide what matters
Work out what needs attention first, what can wait and where time or budget is disappearing into activity that is not helping.
03 //
Set the direction
Turn that into decisions people can actually work with: what needs doing, what order it happens in and what the work needs to say.
04 //
Bring the right people in
Use the right internal people and external specialists, with one brief and one direction rather than several slightly different versions of the same job.
05 //
Stay with it
Keep close to the decisions, reviews and final quality until the work is out in the world.
And if the original brief turns out to be the wrong one, we change it.
WHEN THE ROUTE ISN’T CLEAR
01 // Direction engagement
01 // Direction engagement
Useful when something important is approaching but the brief, priorities or ownership are still muddled.
Before more time and money go into execution, I work with you to get clear on what actually needs to happen, what matters first, who needs to own it and what can be stopped or deferred.
The result is a short Direction Plan: enough clarity to make the next decisions and get the right work moving.
If the route is already clear, we skip this.
WHEN SOMETHING IMPORTANT NEEDS ONE SENIOR LEAD
02 // Creative leadership project
02 // Creative leadership project
A launch, event, campaign, repositioning or other important piece of work can involve several capable people and still end up pulling in slightly different directions.
I hold the objective, message and key creative decisions, brief and direct the people around the work, and stay involved through delivery.
You shouldn't have to carry every briefing, handover and final check. That is part of what I am there for.
WHEN THE NEED DOESN’T DISAPPEAR AFTER ONE PROJECT
03 // Ongoing creative leadership
03 // Ongoing creative leadership
For organisations that keep running into the same need for senior creative judgement but do not need a full-time role.
We agree what I am responsible for and where I need to stay close. That might mean several workstreams, a regular decision rhythm, or simply having someone who already understands the context when the next important piece of work appears.
The value is continuity. Fewer decisions have to start again, and senior judgement is there when it is needed.
The thinking doesn't stop at the handover.
When the work needs specialists, I bring them in, brief and direct them, and stay close to the reviews that matter.
You get the capability the job needs without having to stitch the supplier relationships together yourself.
The specialists do the specialist work. I remain responsible for how it fits together.
You don't need to work out which of these fits.
Start with what’s happening. I can usually tell from there what the sensible next step is.