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Terms & Conditions

Last updated: April 9, 2020

Please read these Terms of Use (“Terms”, “Terms of Use”) carefully before using the https://gstrayerdesign.com website (the “Service”) operated by G Strayer Design (“us”, “we”, or “our”).

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Disclaimer

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Contact Us

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When Everyone Is A Leader…

No one is.

Look, I get that we want to develop people into the best they can be, but there is a reason that we value leadership. Like all valued things, it’s rare. When we try to compel people into the role of leader, we devalue, either explicitly or implicitly, the idea that there is value in being a follower.

And without those followers, there can be no real leaders.

This is similar to the points John Ratzenberger and Mike Rowe have made about the push to have college viewed as the only acceptable alternative for high school students, with skilled trades presented as second (at best) class options.

I use myself as an example. I am good at my job. Sometimes very good. But then I remember the lesson of the FedEx logo, and remember that I am not a leader in the field, and that is ok. How many A list actors would do a local-market television ad? See the point? We need people who are not leaders to do the work the leaders inspire in us. I would never have come up with the arrow in the FedEx logo, but I see it, and understand it, and can use that to inform my own choices in design.

We need people who are skilled followers too. More than ever, it seems.

Brands & Social Commentary

Brands & Social Commentary

When is publicity bad for a brand?

Despite the old saw of their being no such thing as bad press, there is indeed such a thing, and knowing how to avoid it is increasingly paramount in today’s hot-take-driven media landscape.

But Gillette is discovering, as others have before, that taking a social commentary position has consequences. For the record, I stopped using cartridge razors back in 2013, and have only used double edged safety razors since (I use the Merkur Safety Razor and these blades), so my comments on the Gillette ad are not driven by any relationship to the company or it’s products.

Gillette is facing backlash over their ‘toxic masculinity’ ad, and that was something they could have avoided. Their parent company, Procter & Gamble, has seen their stock dip post-release. And there is a lot of chatter about switching away from Gillette products, which are a bit less than 50% of the shaving market.

So why do it? That is the question that a brand needs to answer before making a statement that can damage your market. Sometimes controversy is good – especially if you land early on the winning side. Bold statements can drive customers to you, as you show confidence and vision on an issue. This can also backfire, if you choose a position that is opposed to your customer base, or appears to be an attack on them (some analysis of the Gillette ad suggests that the tone is scolding or one of talking down to the customer).

My advice to the small business brand manager or brand decision makers is to avoid commentary on social issues at all costs. And if you feel the need, be sure to be aspirational, positive, and pick a safe topic. You won’t offend anyone by standing up for equality, but might if you choose a more fringe aspect of your issue.

The core function of business is to move a product, and make a profit. Taking social positions is not the function of a business, and has all too often caused harm. Gillette won’t be going anywhere, a 1 person shop just might.

So Your Client Hired Someone Else To Change Things…

There are few things more satisfying than landing a new client – and then getting a monthly support contract on top of it. There are also few things more demoralizing than when that client seeks outside advice to refresh their project. How do you deal with that, with the need to be professional, and still admit your personal feelings?

Well, you blog about it, of course! And in the preparation for blogging, you have to come to realize that there is literally nothing bad about this situation. Nothing at all.

First, you still landed the client. Take that win! Second, take a moment to look over the relationship with your client. Did you do all you could, within the scope of your contract, to make them happy? Did you behave in a consistently professional manner, and always remember they are the boss? Did you complete tasks in a timely fashion? There are a lot of things like this that you can look back on, and maybe see a pattern – and if you did all this, and can honestly say to yourself that you did the best you could, then you need to move to the next step, and this is the hard one.

Accept it. Be gracious. Seek to learn.

Hard to do – accepting it less so, as it is likely a done deal, but still not easy. Being gracious is not to be understood as being subservient or allowing people to walk all over you. Being gracious is part of being a team player. Even if you are no longer on the team. It may be hard, but this is the professional response. Be useful too – you know things that the new person doesn’t, and by being gracious, you also make a new contact – one who is not responsible for your client looking elsewhere. Lastly, seek to learn – we all have different skills and foci. By learning from a new person’s work, you can increase your own ability, and in the long run make yourself more marketable.

In the end, this situation happens for one reason and one reason only. Somewhere, somehow, in some manner you failed the client. You may not ever know how, it may be something happened that is wholly out of your control or influence. It may have been a miscommunication, misunderstanding, or whatever. Honestly, in the end, that isn’t so important (still worth some searching to find why, to make yourself better or to understand the situation better). You still failed in some way.

And that’s ok. Failure isn’t an option, it’s a requirement. By accepting this, you become better at your work, stronger as a candidate for future work, and you know what can happen, and what to avoid.