Newly appointed Head of Biddable, we’ve picked the brains of George Stolton – asking him about his career, his leadership style, and his advice on how to overcome challenges…read on to find out more.
What is the best advice you have received at work?
Once, before a pitch, a throwaway piece of advice was given to me: the person you’re about to present to has no idea what you are about to say or show. The takeaway, here, is that as long as you get across the point you were intending to, and you do that effectively, it doesn’t matter if you don’t hit every single point you had noted down beforehand.
It is far too easy to get caught up trying to say too much and trip over yourself, especially if you’re on a time limit. So focus on that point you wanted to communicate. And the rest will follow. Unfortunately, the comment was so offhand that I don’t know who actually said it, so I reckon I’ll have to take credit…
What makes you proud to come into work each day?
The biggest reward of my job is easily working with an engaged team. To be able to help and witness staff develop over time and help to progress their careers.
Aside from this, being able to collaborate with different members of the team on varying projects always highlights how many great and talented people that we have here at ROAST.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career? How did you overcome it and what did you learn from it?
There are times when performance media doesn’t go perfectly to plan. Sometimes external factors mean that you can’t execute everything you planned to or campaign performance simply doesn’t meet your expectations. The most important thing is how you adapt to those challenges, and perhaps even more so: how you communicate it to a client.
Understanding why something didn’t work the first time is how you learn and improve. All a development process, it’s one that individuals need to experience for themselves, and take that knowledge on with them.
Can you describe your leadership style?
There will never be a one-size-fits-all all approach to leadership. Treating everyone as a square peg to put in a square hole will inevitably cause friction with someone who thinks of themself as more of a circle.
I believe that there is a balance between setting standards and expectations, and allowing individuals to find their own way, providing guidance when needed. Otherwise, the risk of micromanaging looms ominously: you risk standing over the shoulders of your team which benefits no one, motivates no one, and progresses no one. I make time for guidance when it is required, and give it my full attention, but always provide space so that they can develop themselves first.
Half-hearted feedback will again, benefit no one, motivate no one, and progress no one.
Where do you see the company/industry expanding or focusing its efforts in the next few years?
We’ve definitely got some big ambitions as an agency and as a team. We’re at a tipping point where clients want more, strategies require more sophistication, and platform/policy changes require constant vigilance and attention to keep up to date. This, however, is what makes the job exciting.
Albeit a well-known fact in the industry, studies continue to show that bottom of funnel media isn’t enough to shift the dial by itself. It is essential to think bigger picture and look at how we can fuel a client’s brand in an impactful and cost efficient way. All the while operating in a world in which taking steps to get measurement right is more important than ever.
If you’d like to check out more about agency life here at ROAST, check out our ‘Day in the Life‘ article by one of our newest members to the team. Or if you want to find out more from our Paid Media team, please contact us here!
