Screen Magazine, in a profile of the nation’s largest independent agency, reveals one of the shop’s secrets for success.
The Richards Group has a unique method of organizing its different departments – it doesn’t. “Everybody’s thrown in together,” says David Hall, agency principal, noting that employees are not able to segregate themselves by job title. “That helps because we all overhear what everyone else does and says. You probably wouldn’t be surprised at the learning that can occur in that kind of environment.”
This is an interesting insight. So many people in this business hold tightly to their own little fiefdoms. We’re professional communicators, yet we often fail to communicate with one another. One of the underlying reasons for this is a vain attempt to wield power. The problem with this approach is people who practice it fundementally misunderstand what power is. Power is getting other people to join your team and do your bidding. Or as Lao Tzu said, “A leader is most effective when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, his troops will feel they did it themselves.”