Mad Men to McDonalds - Fantasy to Fact?
2 of 7 Clarify - 'The Fantasy Ladder'
Client - Clarify - Create - Change - Confirm - Continue - Close
The US TV series Mad Men takes us back to a time when advertising was direct, everyone smoked in the office and drank bourbon for breakfast, men wore sharp suits and women even sharper dresses. And of course, sexism was rife. So, whilst some of us may yearn for the glamorous lifestyle they portray we also watch on with incredulity at the political incorrectness of the times.
Whilst for sure the world of advertising has changed ... more ripped jeans and beards than stay- pressed suits and Brylcreem. But advertising is still selling us dreams ... the romantic Caribbean holiday with beaches of pure white sand; the shiny new car that will take us up mountains and park itself in the city; the perfume that will make us irresistible to the opposite sex. When we know in our heart of hearts the reality will be very different ... holidays when we have to get up at 6am to reserve our sun-bed by the pool; the car that will spend most of its life in traffic jams and whilst our aftershave may indeed overcome our natural ‘man odour’ it will not make us look like Daniel Craig striding out of the waves in his swimming trunks.
Looking through the 7Cs lens, this world of advertising is walking us up the ‘Fantasy Ladder’ from fact to fantasy.
A juxtaposition may be seen in the current ‘No Beaks, Bits or Feet’ advertisement for McDonalds’ chicken nuggets. Rather than taking us up the ‘Fantasy Ladder’ they are coaxing us back down. Starting with the myth, aka ‘fantasy’, that their chicken nuggets contain every part of the chicken, with the notable exception of what we would consider meat. They progress through the commercial with experts, denoted by clipboards and white coats, confirming the fact that McDonalds’ chicken nuggets contain only meat from chicken breast.
Re-affirmed by two friendly but insistent doormen dressed all in black stating ... “if it isn’t chicken breast it isn’t coming in!”.
As I watched this it brought to mind how in the 7Cs coaching model we use the ‘Fantasy Ladder’ to similar effect. Clarifying a client’s needs, ensuring they are grounded in the ‘facts’ of their reality rather than any ‘fantasy’ created through self-perception or self-limiting beliefs.
As an example, I was having a discussion with a colleague who is currently ‘seeking their next opportunity’ to use Linkedin speak. Their dilemma is one that many of us will face at some time in our professional lives ... putting ourselves out on the market in a world of ‘internet dating’ when those of us of a certain age are more familiar with finding our significant other or job through personal connections and great chat-up lines or interview skills respectively?
The perils of on-line rejection or the vacuum of any form of feedback on job applications can lead to the creation of many fantasies ... I am unwanted, I don’t have the skills required out there, there are no jobs for 50+ anymore, women don’t get a look in for senior jobs ...
In an attempt to stop them pulling the duvet over their head and giving up, we needed to climb back down their ‘Fantasy Ladder’, asking a few questions and adding a little ‘fact’:
The ‘Fantasy Ladder’ – from Fantasy to Fact:
It went a bit like this …
Turning it down the self-doubt volume …
How many on-line applications do you think they received?
Does that mean that if they received 1,000 and interviewed 10 candidates there are 990 ‘losers’ out there just like you?
Have you got jobs in the past when you made it to interview?
Were all the people that employed you in the past wrong?
Cleaning distortions created in our mind …
Do you think the CVs were read by someone or is there an algorithm being used to sift through … maybe your CV just isn’t digital savvy?
When you don’t hear back from this computer driven process how was that making you feel?
‘Computer says no’ is no reason to feel rejection?
Add missing data to clarify …
There are estimated 10 million jobs currently listed on Linkedin.
Of Linkedin members 3.4 million users have selected ‘open to new opportunities’
On average each job posted on-line gets 1,000 views, will receive 100 applicants, of which 75 will be rejected before a human sees them, 4 to 6 will be invited for interview.
And the average recruiter spends 6 seconds reviewing each CV.
Face the facts of what really happening …
You have great experience.
You have been successful throughout your career.
98% of roles at your level are filled through personal connections and recommendation.
You are getting depressed that your ‘carpet bombing’ approach isn’t working when maybe you should be focusing on laser-guided activity.
Whilst I would take no credit for their lack of ‘duvet days’, by getting them back down their ‘Fantasy Ladder’ they are in a much better place to move forward with their job search.
So, whether you are coaching, being coached or simply taking the opportunity for some self-reflection, think where you are on your ‘Fantasy Ladder’. Are you dealing with facts or fantasy McDonalds chicken nugget? And use appropriate questions to talk your way down the ‘Fantasy Ladder’ to the facts of the issue.
You can then move on to formulating an action plan, but that is our next ‘Create’.
For more on the 7Cs visit www.7Cs.co.uk.
Part 2 of 7
Client - Clarify - Create - Change - Confirm - Continue - Close
(All credits for the 7Cs framework to Mick Cope)
Duncan Johnston
Lead Consultant 7Cs ACTion