You want to impress your boss with your work. How can you make sure you’re on the right track?

1 Understand the brief

Before you start working on any creative strategy project, you need to understand the brief. The brief is the document that outlines the goals, objectives, audience, message, and tone of the project. It also defines the scope, budget, timeline, and deliverables. The brief is your guide to what your boss wants and needs from you. Read it carefully, ask questions, and clarify any doubts. Don’t assume anything or skip any details. The more you understand the brief, the more likely you are to meet or exceed your boss’s expectations.

2 Do your research

Once you have a clear idea of the brief, you need to do your research. Research is the process of gathering and analyzing information that will help you develop your creative strategy. You need to research your target audience, your competitors, your industry, and your own strengths and weaknesses. You also need to research the best practices, trends, and tools for your project. Research will help you identify the opportunities, challenges, and insights that will inform your creative decisions. It will also help you avoid making mistakes or repeating what others have done.

3 Brainstorm and refine

After you have done your research, you need to brainstorm and refine your ideas. Brainstorming is the process of generating as many possible solutions as you can for your project. You can brainstorm alone or with your team, using techniques such as mind mapping, word association, sketching, or SCAMPER. The goal is to be creative, original, and diverse. Don’t judge or censor your ideas at this stage. Just let them flow and record them. Then, you need to refine your ideas. Refining is the process of evaluating, selecting, and improving your ideas. You need to filter out the weak, irrelevant, or impractical ideas, and focus on the ones that are most aligned with the brief, the research, and your goals. You also need to test, prototype, and polish your ideas to make them more effective and appealing.

4 Present and justify

Once you have refined your ideas, you need to present and justify them to your boss. Presenting is the process of showing and explaining your ideas in a clear, concise, and compelling way. You need to use the appropriate format, medium, and language for your project. You also need to tailor your presentation to your boss’s preferences, personality, and expectations. You need to capture their attention, interest, and approval. Justifying is the process of supporting and defending your ideas with evidence, logic, and emotion. You need to show how your ideas meet the brief, the research, and the goals. You also need to address any feedback, questions, or objections that your boss may have, and show how you can overcome them.

5 Execute and evaluate

Finally, you need to execute and evaluate your project. Executing is the process of implementing your ideas and delivering the final product or service. You need to follow the brief, the timeline, and the budget, and ensure the quality and consistency of your work. You also need to collaborate and communicate with your team, your boss, and any other stakeholders involved in the project. Evaluating is the process of measuring and assessing the impact and results of your project. You need to use the appropriate metrics, tools, and methods to collect and analyze data. You also need to report and share your findings, insights, and learnings with your boss, and show how you achieved or exceeded the objectives and goals.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?