Enthusiasm: part two

There's a lot of enthusiasm in our business.

That would be a good thing, if it was all genuine.

But it seems that enthusiasm is a often a kind of confidence trick. It's used to hide deficiencies. It's another level of dishonesty.

Where else do people answer "absolutely" instead of "yes"?

"You got that project covered?"

"Absolutely!"

How very affirmative and can-do!

But that's tip of the iceberg stuff. The enthusiasm I can't stand is the shithouse enthusiasm that promises the impossible to clients. You know, that kind of enthusiasm politicians employ that makes them unable to talk in terms of reality?

I've been in many meetings, I'm sure you have too, where everyone is getting all enthusiastic about stuff. Maybe it's a good thing, I don't know. But there's just something I don't trust about it. I imagine it's how Haig and Robertson addressed their military strategies in the Great War.

"How about we just walk over the top?!!"

"Fucking wicked idea!"

"I know!!"

I think sometimes, when people don't know what they are talking about, they decide to get really enthusiastic about it.

Wasn't it only the clever people who would put their hand up at school if they didn't understand?The idiots just nodded. Not knowing.

The real problem I have with mindless enthusiasm is that the people who carry it out rarely have to deliver on it. It's quite possible for a creative director, planner or account person to promise the impossible and then blame the creative team for not delivering. Where instead, it is the duty of the people in these jobs to interrogate the possibilities, and return to the creatives with something that can be built upon. Not doing so is yellow and political.

"But that's the creative challenge!"

"I'm sorry. Let me get this right. You want something that is white and only white. But at the same time black and not at all white? Is that right?"

"You're the creative guy!"

Creativity can take place in the real world. We don't have to lie to ourselves all the time.

I swear, if a creative was in a car with a planner, a creative director and an account man, and they were driving towards a cliff, and the creative was to say that continuing in this way would result in everyone's certain death, the creative would be fired for cynicism ten seconds before he died.

The face of deduction usually wears a furrowed brow.

I'm not sure why a results based business like ours should be any different.