I’ve been thinking about Planners Who Do Other Things Now.
These fall into several subcategories, there’s Planners Who Now Do Something Totally Different But Use Their Planning Skillset, like the Chief Exec of an NHS Trust and the Life Coach I know.
Then there’s Planners Who Don’t Work In Ad Agencies Anymore, but instead work in media agencies, the Government Digital Service, digital agencies, PR agencies and sit on the boards of media/comms related businesses. That’s evolution and frankly, major progress for Planning as a discipline.
And of course there are the Planners Who Are Self Employed Doing Important Strategic Stuff With a Different Job Title, who can be found advising half the FTSE100 and writing books.
So what makes a Planner a great adviser outside their original role? I think it’s their ability to analyse large amounts of disparate data, sort the wheat from the chaff and come up with a new angle or answer to a problem. That kind of skill set is going to be increasingly in demand – agencies, you’d better be nice to your Planners or some other business will nick them.
Every word is true. Thaks God I’m not the only one who feels there’s more outside Ad Agency for a Strategic Planner.
The only way to be nice to your planners is always offering wisdom and inspiration to them and they will never leave you, just like what my previous boss did to me… even physically leave, they will never REALLY leave you in the heart.
Hey Gemma – a great piece and clever observation. I’d also add that not only are we able to cut wheat from chaff but also we often start from a place of ‘what will make people ‘get’ this’ so we’re good at understanding what’s not there or said, as well as what is. There’s a lot of tacit stuff in the mix too if feels like.
I also love your call to ‘be nice to your Planners’ :) xxx
There are also those hybrids, of which I count myself, who are still planning, in a self-employed consultant role, but who are also pursuing another career or direction.
Thanks Tara, that’s really interesting. Great to hear that you have such a supportive agency and good luck in your new direction.
Hi Gemma,
I started my career in advertising five years ago as a junior planner without having any idea what kind of job that is because I’ve never heard of it before. My boss was kind enough to hire my as fresh new talent maybe. I learn every process by doing it, my company sent me to seminars, workshop and advertising festival so that I’m exposed with stuff. Which totally fun and enlighten.
I was good at research though and I love digging through what’s inside people’s head. But I never thought that I was a good planner, because as a planner, I feel like people are expected me to be smartest one in the room and the one who always have the answer for everything. That burdens me.
On the other hand, I enjoy ideation process, especially writing and word-play. The ECD at my previous office recognizes that and suggest me to be a copywriter. Now, I love what I do. Being a creative and (used to be) a planner helps me a lot in developing idea and execute it.
Hi Tara, that’s really interesting – can I ask what your reasons are?
gemma.
I was a planner for more than 2 years, now I’m shifting my career to copywriter.