I was reflecting on a recent conversation with an ex-colleague where they were referring to a senior person we worked with as “Old School”.
I curiously asked if that was a compliment or a sledge. They slightly backtracked however after their explanation, and I definitely took it as a major sledge.
Further describing the person as old-fashioned, stuck in their ways, not progressive or contemporary, not digitally savvy … it sure was a negative.
I thought this was really ageist and a problem our industry needs to address. You can be stuck in your ways at any age and being progressive is a state of mind, not necessarily an age-specific issue.
As mentioned in a previous column, only 5% of the advertising industry both here and overseas are over 50 years. Don’t get me started again, but describing someone as old immediately shows your bias and can bring up negative perceptions.
I want to reframe Old School as a positive. Take a minute to consider my top 10 reasons it can be good:
Sparrow’s Nest Top 10: Why Old School is good
1. The person is well trained
2. Has real depth of experience
3. Wisdom
4. Attention to detail and process
5. Empathy and understanding
6. Manners and politeness
7. Great follow up
8. Respect and values
9. Appreciative and thankful
10 .Values business and the workplace
Now obviously everyone is different and “old” is just a number. However, I’m young at heart and don’t believe my specific age defines me. Plus, when it comes to “school” I’m not sure of the relevance. FYI I didn’t go to a fancy Sydney school but had a great education at the one school in Wauchope that was infants, primary and high school all in one in a small country town.
Over the years the leaders, mentors, and coaches I’ve had the privilege to work with have all given me great lessons in leadership and been great managers of people. Plus, I’ve had brilliant role models who led by example and worked extremely hard however always found the time to pass on the knowledge and best ways of working to get brilliant outcomes for clients and the team around them.
I was also incredibly fortunate to have amazing parents who brought me and my three brothers up on a dairy farm in the small country town of Wauchope on the NSW north coast with great values. Kindness, gratitude, sharing, and hard work were instilled in us from an early age and to this very day I still hand write and personalise thank you cards and send them with a postal stamp to say Thank You.
Old School should be praised, celebrated and definitely seen as a positive when it involves a great work ethic with values that reflect the best of human nature. Next time you are asked to describe an ex-colleague think carefully about the language you use and the message you may be sending.
Be generous, gracious, and kind … and when thinking about Old School reframe with a positive perspective.
Read more Sparrow’s Nest columns here.
Greg “Sparrow” Graham is a Mediaweek contributing editor.