Chaos in the Kitchen

I hope you enjoyed a happy Thanksgiving shared with family and friends. My kitchen was filled with well-intentioned extra hands, bodies and kids, “helping,” prepare the Thanksgiving meal. And while we enjoyed our time together, all that extra “help” made it just a bit stressful, chaotic and one (or two!) kitchen mishaps. Getting back to work after the holiday, I was struck by the saying “too many cooks spoil the broth” which can result in the same – or worse – outcome for marketing projects.

After thinking about my recent kitchen escapade, I reflected on my college experience of waitressing in a four-star restaurant, where a chef supervised everyone – and everything – in his kitchen; dictated who worked where… and when; created the menu; and left his customers very, very happy. Is your organization’s marketing effort more like my Thanksgiving or a Four Star Restaurant?

Thanksgiving = Chaotic and unorganized, with too many cooks in the kitchen.

As a designer, when there are multiple people giving directions, it can lead to chaos on a project. For example, I once worked for a client with two people managing a project. Unfortunately, they kept making changes several times. Not fun for anyone involved. The point is, when there are too many people making decisions it can result in a design project going off the rails. The initial goal can be lost, along with the investment of money and time.

Four-Star Restaurant = Uber focused on individual responsibilities with a shared end result.

In contrast, there may need to be several people involved in a project, but each has a specific role to propel the effort forward. Each project lead has an assigned role and is focused on that aspect, similar to a well-run restaurant with chefs, sous chefs, line cooks, etc. being responsible for particular menu items in order to deliver a delicious, quality memorable meal.

If your design projects feel more like a “too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen” ordeal instead of a well-run restaurant kitchen, let me guide you through improving the process and, turning out marketing projects worthy of four stars!