You stole my William Goldman line! "No one knows anything" is the first thing I thought of when I read this essay. (I've read "Adventures in the Screen Trade" three times. It's a brilliant classic.)
Anyway, as another saying goes: "Great minds think alike..."
Thank you for the reminder that corporate position and reputation don't necessarily translate into brilliance ... or even mere competence.
It reminds me of the time, while working as an editor for a small media firm, when the managing editor defended a headline "style" that was blatantly incorrect.
For example, here's a story in a nutshell: Bob Smith is going to speak before the city council on Friday.
Her headline: "Bob Smith speaks before city council."
The correct headline: "Bob Smith to speak before city council."
When I mentioned this obvious mistake (which I'd seen several times), the managing editor insisted that she was correct, while everyone else sat there like dutiful crash-test dummies.
Granted, this example doesn't involve high-level business decisions or campaigns, but it illustrates how "A-listers" (at whatever level) occasionally act in ways that scream "room-temperature IQ..."
This really hits home...so many times I'm left looking around asking "where's the basic...competency? forget greatness. i just need to see some basics." the other day a multi-billion-dollar vendor asking for a seven-figure deal miscalculated CPM...the decimal point was in the wrong spot. that 7 month ROI suddenly became, what, 70 years? people we're skipping over it like it was no big deal and I'm going, wtf, this is the entire crux of the pitch. oh well. we'll all try better tomorrow while the money burns.
Great stuff! In the words of William Goldman "No one knows anything."
Hey Neal. I'm upset.
You stole my William Goldman line! "No one knows anything" is the first thing I thought of when I read this essay. (I've read "Adventures in the Screen Trade" three times. It's a brilliant classic.)
Anyway, as another saying goes: "Great minds think alike..."
Thank you for the reminder that corporate position and reputation don't necessarily translate into brilliance ... or even mere competence.
It reminds me of the time, while working as an editor for a small media firm, when the managing editor defended a headline "style" that was blatantly incorrect.
For example, here's a story in a nutshell: Bob Smith is going to speak before the city council on Friday.
Her headline: "Bob Smith speaks before city council."
The correct headline: "Bob Smith to speak before city council."
When I mentioned this obvious mistake (which I'd seen several times), the managing editor insisted that she was correct, while everyone else sat there like dutiful crash-test dummies.
Granted, this example doesn't involve high-level business decisions or campaigns, but it illustrates how "A-listers" (at whatever level) occasionally act in ways that scream "room-temperature IQ..."
Loved this. It reminded me of that video, I'm sure you're familiar with it: https://youtu.be/_KLUQzcRhn8?t=14
Thanks for your subscribe and support btw!
Another great piece from an amazing leader and writer. Thanks for sharing, Bob!
This really hits home...so many times I'm left looking around asking "where's the basic...competency? forget greatness. i just need to see some basics." the other day a multi-billion-dollar vendor asking for a seven-figure deal miscalculated CPM...the decimal point was in the wrong spot. that 7 month ROI suddenly became, what, 70 years? people we're skipping over it like it was no big deal and I'm going, wtf, this is the entire crux of the pitch. oh well. we'll all try better tomorrow while the money burns.
Yeah, Matt - not only was there an initial mistake, but how many other people just let that cruise by with inattention? Keep keeping them honest!