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Every time I see Strategy Twitter talking about what Strategy is or isn’t, I’m reminded that there isn’t a clear set of qualifications expected of Strategists of varying experience levels.
Everyone is simply learning on the job and rediscovering what others already discovered.
Everyone is simply learning on the job and rediscovering what others already discovered.
We might get a chance to do some IPA courses if our agency actually spends their training budget.
We might be recommended ‘the right books to read’, and often ‘the wrong ones.’
But generally, it will depend on who is leading your team and how talented they are at teaching you.
We might be recommended ‘the right books to read’, and often ‘the wrong ones.’
But generally, it will depend on who is leading your team and how talented they are at teaching you.
Have you ever seen a job for a strategist advertised that doesn’t require, but prefers if the applicant has completed a specific courses or acquired a specific qualification?
The lived reality for most Planners/Strategists is that you’re thrown into clients and projects and expected to deliver effective, brilliant work.
Rarely will your manager ascertain your level of understanding.
Rarely will they agree a training and development plan for you.
Rarely will your manager ascertain your level of understanding.
Rarely will they agree a training and development plan for you.
I suspect a huge portion of the strategy community suffers from imposter syndrome simply because they don’t feel like they’ve received an appropriate level of training.
I genuinely think it’s as simple as that.
And they almost certainly haven’t.
I genuinely think it’s as simple as that.
And they almost certainly haven’t.
And to be clear, this isn’t about ‘how to be an empath’.
It’s about grounding in basic things like:
- Research methodologies
- 10 key questions to ask at beginning of project
- What IS an effing insight?
What is or isn’t critical at different levels.
Standardise and teach it.
It’s about grounding in basic things like:
- Research methodologies
- 10 key questions to ask at beginning of project
- What IS an effing insight?
What is or isn’t critical at different levels.
Standardise and teach it.
It’s deeply frustrating for Planners/Strategists to come up the ranks with little to no training or support, despite begging for it at times, and to be then told that they should know these things.
Define the things people should know and pay for them to learn them.
Define the things people should know and pay for them to learn them.
I suspect there are so many people in this profession who feel out of their depth, but utterly terrified of raising their hand for help, because they think they’re just expected to know what they’re doing.
I think we’d really benefit from a resource that matches strategist job level to training courses, books, and approaches for personal study.
Some kind of basic guide. A website dedicated to being a life raft for people struggling with little support.
Some kind of basic guide. A website dedicated to being a life raft for people struggling with little support.
I know there are loads of these things living separately that can be ‘discovered’.
But a life raft resource hub could be a little more pointed and easier to use.
Would that be useful to people?
But a life raft resource hub could be a little more pointed and easier to use.
Would that be useful to people?
