I heard a quip this week that made me spit out my tea, “Planners are like planters. They just sit there for weeks then talk shit.” Funny, right? But it also got me thinking. Most of the cast of characters in an agency can be compared to some kind of foliage producer. There are the immovable oaks. The fragile petals. The fly traps. The choking vines. Even the odd peanut.

To stretch the analogy to breaking point, it struck me it’s particularly true for creative departments.

Every creative should have one of those instruction spikes that reads, “Find me the right spot, in the right agency. Feed me the right briefs. And keep me hydrated (Caveat: Individual preferred choice of fluids may vary).”

The right creative will fill the agency with oxygen. They make everyone’s work environment better. Work becomes a fulfilling, appealing place.

Of course, the opposite is also true. Never put a strong, healthy creative in the wrong place. Too much conflict. Too much intensity. It’s easy to see them wilt and shrivel.

Need some examples?

Years ago, I had a senior copywriter contact me about a job. He was employed at another agency and was miserable. Every word he wrote was being re-written by his creative director. I knew he had talent and managed to wrangle some budget to get him to switch. The day he joined our agency was the day he was going to be retrenched. He didn’t know. The other agency saved their payout and thought they were laughing. Laughing then, not now. Because now he’s a hugely successful CCO in the US.

More recently, a junior creative I know was struggling in the social department of a large multinational. Her boss was making her life hell. Expecting strategy, community management, copy, design and budget management. In short, doing a department head’s gig but without the salary or power to say ‘No’. Now she’s nestling snuggly in a well-structured creative department doing great work and flourishing.

So, if you’re a junior or midweight creative, look for the right agency. Somewhere you’ll be properly nurtured.

Or, if you’re in creative leadership, make sure you’re creating the right environment before you introduce fresh, young thinking.

Either way, let’s avoid covering everyone with bullshit.

Rob Morrison is a rarity in advertising – a grey-haired creative. Rob’s experience includes time as a Creative Director at Ogilvy, BWM (now Dentsu Creative), George Patts (now VML), Campaign Palace and Wunderman. He now runs his own consultancy – morrison.collective.

Here are two more opinion pieces from Rob Morrison:

Cover image by Markus Spiske on Unsplash