Challange

 

In 2002, I was invited by Jimmy Lam to join D’Arcy Advertising. 

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Soon after taking office, I learned that Jimmy will be attending a Board of Directors meeting in the USA to discuss the development plan of the creative forces within the Asia-Pacific region. Jimmy told me that his biggest challenge for this trip is obtaining budget approval from the Board to attract creative talent, so as to build up a competitive edge for D’Arcy in the Asia-Pacific region. 

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Solution

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I proposed to Jimmy an idea that will entice the Board’s attention for the budget approval.

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On the day of the meeting, Jimmy’s first words will be “I would like to announce the good news!” He will gift a 200-page thick book with the cover <<The world-class, metal detector triggering, suicide-inducing and envy-inspiring works produced by D’Arcy Asia-Pacific over the past 12 months>> to every Board member. 

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Like a stone dropped in still pond, the conference room will ripple with uproars of excitement and everybody eagerly flipping open the book.

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Interestingly, the excitement will disappear quicker than its appearance, with silence engulfing the conference room. That is because everyone will open up only to see the emptiness in all 200 pages of the compilation. And at the very last page of the compilation, there is only a paragraph “There is a subtle difference between good work and great work. D’Arcy has been producing plenty of former but not impressive work. With over 200 highly talented and highly paid creative people working in 16 offices across 13 countries, D’Arcy Asia-Pacific should be producing great work. But we’re not.”

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After Jimmy returned back from the USA, money was no longer an issue.