Tag Archives: culture
This year we’d like to take a bit of time to show off some of our talent here at Critical Mass. We are incredibly proud to have the best people in the industry, who also happen to be some of the best musicians, parents, athletes, friends, chefs, gamers, artists and beer- consumers. To share a bit of what makes CM special, we’ll serve up these Employee Spotlights with individuals from across all disciplines and offices. For January, allow us to introduce Reza Kay.
1. What is your role at CM? How do you spend your days?
I’m Head of Design at CM London. Part of my day normally consists of reviewing the briefs, estimates and design work going through the studio. Aside from the more administrative tasks, I will normally work with the Creative Director who I will collaborate with and then set design direction for every project/pitch. I also work closely with IA, Planning, AM’s and PM’s, and Tech to ensure that the creative and design ideas are always in place. More importantly, a large part of my role is to inspire, collaborate with and guide our designers, and to be a sort of ‘brand guardian’ for our clients… And yes, I do still spend part of most days designing in Photoshop.
2. What is the greatest thing about CM culture?
I think the greatest thing about CM culture has to be the openness, receptivity and friendliness of its people. It’s a company that cares, respects and looks out for its people. It’s the idea that we’re not made up of numbers or ‘staff’, but of individuals and personalities — fostered from the very top — which I believe builds the very foundation of CM culture.
3. What drives you? What are you inspired by?
Wow… what a tough question! I’m driven by my search for perfection and collaboration, though sometimes just perfect collaboration. I’m inspired by many things: the Interweb (obviously!) and it’s every changing disposition; my close friends and family; design, fashion, music, art and architecture (how clichéd!); science and the universe; the smell of spring in the air… Many, many, things really.
Pulling directly from Shaina’s CMVP nomination last October,
“She’s done an amazing job of juggling multiple client demands, team demands and office demands over the past couple of months. Marketing Science thinking is a key component of our new business wins and a growing component of day-to-day client deliverables. She delivers great insights, is a strong team leader, and continually reinforces her delivery with an attitude that clients and team members really appreciate.”
So it’s no question she is the Critical Mass CMVP of the Year for 2009. But let’s spend some time getting to know her a little better. Here are 10 Qs with Shaina.
1. What is your role at CM? How do you spend your days?
I am the Group Marketing Science Director, running the line of business for all offices. CM was in need of a more advanced analytics practice, so I wrote a business plan from my experience and research and executed against it. The vision was to ensure our clients get the most for their money working with us, our consumer gets the best experience, the product is the best we can deliver and our analysts have a highly engaging/challenging career at CM. Those were the 4 key components to drive the whole line of business. To date, we have 65% of CM accounts covered, a team of 15 people (and 6 more open positions).
I spend my days talking to people on the team [management] and selling during the day, planning operations and bigger picture analysis/strategy at night. 75% of the time I am travelling. I even have my own apartment in Calgary because I spent 6.5 months there last year. (Plus1 month in Amsterdam. Only 4 month at home here in Chicago!)
In a nutshell, it’s like I get to run my own business inside of a massive business and it’s very motivating.
2. Why do you think you were you nominated as a CMVP?
I suppose it’s because I built a successful line of business. Or maybe that’s why I was picked as CMVP of the Year. I think I was originally nominated because I had a very challenging month last fall. Sometimes, survival is extraordinary. That was when I was taking over solitary ownership of the entire group. It was challenging, but it helps that I love what I do so much.
3. What is the greatest thing about CM culture?
The people, themselves. I couldn’t work this much if I didn’t really like everyone who works here. I’ve worked at many agencies and with hundreds of people over the years and no one is like this collective group. The executives are so supportive and friendly. The Canadian heritage is rare and wonderful. Great work. Amazing roster of clients. All in all, it’s just a unique and ideal environment.
4. What drives you? What are you inspired by?
Finding the answer to “why?” and proving that what we’re doing is actually bringing value. Showing that everything we do at this company is actually worth something and can always be improved. That’s very compelling. Another big one is getting people to think–stop them and get them to think before they take action.
Several weeks ago, our global leadership team converged at our Calgary headquarters, “the mothership” so to speak, for annual strategic planning meetings. One of the key themes of the week was “Moving at the Speed of Culture.”
Neil Clemmons, President, and Arif Hirani, Consumer Research Director.
We spent hours and numerous breakout sessions outlining the myriad obstacles that can prevent companies (ourselves included) from moving faster, more efficiently, and above all, more effectively. From noise to process to culture and tools, we mapped out the challenges and corresponding solutions to keep us on a path toward continual evolution, and to manage growth while remaining a nimble, innovation-focused culture.
Our lengthy discussions on this topic underscored a compelling point: no matter how steeped you are in digital expertise or “best practices”, whether you are a boutique hot shop or a leading established player, the pace of change—in the industry and culture at large—is mind-blowing. Seemingly everyday, the ground is shifting: new agency models, new technology players and platforms, new consumer behaviors that are rendering our tried and true marketing strategies utterly irrelevant.
So how do you remain competitive or, as we strive to do, continue to lead our clients and inspire our employees by “moving at the speed of culture”?
Our good friend over at Business Week, Bruce Nussbaum, penned a great post on “Cultivating Innovation and Creativity, Not Managing It.” In it, he alludes to a wonderful analogy made by Diego Rodriquez, partner at IDEO, about how “cultivating” a culture of innovation is much like a tending to a garden, as opposed to the traditional command-and-control model of “managing” from the top down.
