What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received in your career so far?
I’ve found the work of organizational psychologist Adam Grant incredibly helpful. His book, Give and Take, which offers strategies on how to create a culture of generosity, has been particularly influential on my thinking. It’s clear that the more often people share their knowledge and help their colleagues, the better an organization does on every measurable metric: profits, customer satisfaction, employee retention and even lower operating costs.
What is your favourite part of your job?
It’s absolutely “the people”. I get to work with some incredibly impressive, talented people, who help to elevate the work we do for clients on a daily basis. Working cross-functionally, with the creative strategy and the research teams has always been a particular highlight as it encourages us to be more thoughtful and innovative.
What is the biggest mistake you’ve learnt from in your career?
I was unfortunate enough to work in a particularly toxic environment for a short while when I was in a more junior role. My greatest regret is not standing up for myself or the team; it was my first experience of such things and I was naïve. On the positive side, I learned a huge amount from the experience and am now always happy to “go to the mat” on behalf of the team!
What advice would you give your 20-year-old self-starting out in comms, or to someone entering this field of work?
If I could tell my 20-ish work-self anything it would be to “put down the Blackberry”; that flashing red light was absolute torture. For those entering this line of work my advice would be to be conscientious, kind and have courage. Oh, and never let anyone suggest that you have to compromise your values to get-ahead; not only is it not a good idea, it’s also simply not true.
What do you do to switch off from work?
I pick my son up from school and spend hours chasing him around the park or filling buckets with sand.