CGM blog: Just do, won’t do

10 Apr CGM blog: Just do, won’t do

Nike’s Just Do It strapline captured the zeitgeist when it was launched in the 1980s.

Aimed at competitors (joggers, mainly) it meant: stop the talking, start the doing.

But just doing isn’t enough in business or broadcasting.

One of the most irritating phrases of recent years is ‘whatever’. Yeah, whatever… a dismissive phrase deliberately designed to suck energy and enthusiasm out of activities, work-wise or other.

In business, I often see people and organisations just doing and muddling along with a ‘yeah, whatever’ attitude.

But is ‘just do’ good enough? Not in my book. It won’t achieve excellence but can sort the wheat from the chaff.

When I worked at BBC Radio 4 only one standard was acceptable – the best. This applied to audio quality – there is no aural hiding place in stereo at Radio 4 – and the highest ethics and standards of journalism. End of.

At Chris Green Media we also apply a best-only ethos.

We employ people and work with partners who are excellent, experienced and experts, who apply effort and energy when working with and for our valued clients.

Then there’s our media training – delivered by skilled, expert communicators not untried chancers – so our clients feel the benefit and achieve career-changing personal development.

There’s not a ‘whatever’ in sight.

We just do it – but we also do it as well as possible. And that’s what counts.

Chris Green is an award-winning author and broadcaster and managing director of Chris Green Media.