Strategy. It’s a bit of a scary word. And it’s even scarier having it in your job title. It’s almost as if people expect you to be an academic. Someone who deals in theories, studies, stats and technicalities. Not words I’d always use to describe myself. My specialist subject on Mastermind would be Ru Paul’s Drag Race Seasons 1-17. Just for context.
So when I’m looking to hire a strategist, academic isn’t top of my list. I’m looking for someone who can do big and small. Someone who can look at the broader picture, identify where people want to go, and build the path to get there, but is equally happy to roll their sleeves up and write that CEO communication, leaders toolkit or launch plan.
That’s probably why I’ve ended up with somewhat of an anomaly in the Strategy team at Home. Every single one of us comes from an in-house background. All industry experts. Home is the only agency we’ve worked in. We’ve got a financial services whizz, a real deal professional sportsman come engineering pro, a charity sector and government expert and my own background in fashion retail and tech.
But it’s not that sector experience that makes our work pack a punch (although it certainly does help). It’s the fact that we too have been Heads of Internal Communications or Heads of Employee Experience. We’ve sat in your seat. We’ve negotiated for more budget. We’ve influenced the CEO and turned the complex into the engaging. We’ve sat on panels and watched agency pitches, just like ours. We’ve navigated the pull between HR/Marketing and anyone else who takes an interest in our world. We get it.
And that’s my favourite thing about our team. Throw any circumstance our way and it’s likely we’ve done it before. If we haven’t, we know just how to work it out. Combine that with the creativity of our studio and you’ve got something really special. You’re not finding that anywhere else.
But don’t just take my word for it – here’s what the team had to say.
“Confession time. I was deeply suspicious of agency strategists when I sat on the other side of the desk. How can they know my company better than me? Because let’s be honest. We don’t. That’s not the value we add. What we bring is all the lived experience of an in house professional, a view from across multiple industries and a healthy distance and perspective. That leads to fresh perspectives on the most entrenched of problems, a passion for raising up our professional community and solutions that are practical to deliver.” – Caroline Tierney
“Your mission is our mission. We’ve walked in your shoes and we share the same passion. But don’t think of us as advisors. We’re the do-ers. The roll your sleeves up and jump right in-ers. The ones who uncover the insights you need, bring your people’s voice to life at the highest table, and deliver the strategy that gets you from where you are, to where you want to be.” – Zac Costello
“Making change in a business is tough. Whether you’re struggling with a cynical workforce, restrictive budgets, or overly technical line managers, I’ve been there myself, probably multiple times in my rather squiggly career. I know there are few quick fixes to making meaningful, lasting change, but I also know that no problem is unfixable. And that’s what we do – zoom out to find the story behind the problem, then zoom back in to create practical, realistic solutions.” – Lauren Owen
Turns out, Home is where the industry experts are. Fancy throwing a challenge our way? We’re ready when you are.
