StratScraps_v109

Look for what you notice but no one else sees.

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“With a second set of ears, We're not necessarily looking for an outside perspective. We are more interested in widening our own.
If we write an essay and give it to a friend, before even hearing their perspective, our relationship to the work changes. Give it to a mentor and our perspective shifts in a different way. We interrogate ourselves when we offer our work up to others. We ask the questions we didn't ask ourselves when we were making it. Sharing it in this limited capacity brings our underlying doubts to light.
If someone chooses to share feedback, listen to understand the person, not the work. People will tell you more about themselves than about the art when giving feedback.”

— “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” Rick Rubin

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Also from Rubin’s book:

I’ve always received the feedback (at work and at home) that I needed to work on being able to finish things. I’m great at starting them, but seem to have a hard time getting the last 10%.

A few years back, I had a boss who – like every boss I’ve ever had – noticed this pattern. Her response was “Let’s find you a finisher.”

That will always stick with me. Nobody is 100% at everything. She recognized where my strength was and the solve for my deficits was a partner who complimented me.

Self improvement is great. But be honest with yourself where you can actually change and where you need to look outwards for help.

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The gift and the curse of the Strategist.

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I’m a sucker for tools. Probably to a fault. The hardware store kind or the app store kind.

Anyway, one area where there hasn’t been anything new take off for a while has been slide software. There are certainly many trying. But nobody seems to have nailed it yet.

Pitch is close.

Not quite there, but close. Here are the survey results of Creatives on Strategists using it. Easy to share, cleaner and easier to design / collaborate than Keynote/gslides.

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Something to anonymously email your boss:

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A while ago I shared this;

And I was sent something fun in response – although I cannot for the life of me find the email and therefore can’t remember the name of the guy who sent it to me… Sorry guy. Drop a comment or shoot me a note and I’ll give you a shout here and on LinkedIn for credit.

I like this model because it actually does away with the “culture” bucket entirely, recognizing that culture permeates everything.

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Via The Beautiful Mess by John Cutler. Highly recommend

“Let's start with a statement: I am stuck in traffic! I'm going to be late for the wedding.

Now let's break it down:

I'm going to be late for the wedding. —>The undesired event or adverse effect that needs to be addressed

I am stuck in traffic! —>The contributing factor, immediate cause, or proximate cause that led to the undesired event

Now the story behind the story: I never seem to plan for the potential of traffic! I tend just to follow the GPS! My partner and I have been having trouble managing our time lately. The traffic keeps getting worse since funding got cut for that project. —>The underlying factors, root causes, or systemic issues that contributed to being stuck in traffic

OK. Now consider how often these ideas get mixed up in everyday work.”

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“if you were to get into a scandal, what would it be about” is a much better question than “what’s your greatest weakness”

Sometimes, less literal questions lead to more insightful answers.

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Sometimes this is just as important (or more important) than the space in the middle:

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The office is a theatre, and work is an unfolding narrative on the stage.

- Tom Critchlow

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My mantra as I furiously save links:

I don't want to know more,
I want to integrate more.
It's not about accumulation,
it's about connection.

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Way better than the demand space model IMO…

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Stumbled across this and had a realization.

There is a fine line between being a jester and being a strategist.

A Joker becomes a strategist as soon as what they say has an impact.

Conversely, a strategist becomes a Joker when nothing they say seems to matter.

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Let’s work together.

AS ALWAYS, YOU CAN REACH ME AT ALEX@STRATSCRAPS.COM

HIRE ME FOR:

• STRATEGY PROCESS/IMPLEMENTATION CONSULTING

• BRIEF WRITING

• CREATIVE TEAM SUPPORT

• RESEARCH » INSIGHTS.

• CONNECTING THEORY AND PRACTICE.

• AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE WHO WILL ROLL THEIR SLEEVES UP AND GET THEIR HANDS DIRTY.

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WEEKLY MONSTER

AN ARTIST I LIKE:

Paride Bertolin does amazing sketches of monsters. His are way better than mine, and a big source of inspiration.