THE CREM VIEW #7
Win or Learn
I recently joined Ruth Collin on The Long View podcast, primarily to talk about living with Type 1 diabetes for the last 30 years. The conversation did drift into family, business, managing people and some of the things that have shaped the way I approach all those areas.
One of those was “win or learn”, an idea I’ve used for years with the teams I’ve managed and something that, when I think about it, has probably shaped how I approach most areas of my life.
I’ve never expected people to get everything right, every time. It’s not realistic and it’s not a standard I could hold anyone else to when I don’t get everything right myself. What I have always wanted from people is the confidence to make a decision when they have enough information to make one, rather than becoming so worried about making the wrong choice that they make no choice at all.
I’ve seen that happen a lot over the years. Good people can become so conscious of getting something wrong that they start looking for someone else to make the call, even when they already know what they think the answer is. Eventually you end up with a team where everything works its way back up to one person and nobody really develops, because nobody is being allowed, or allowing themselves, to make decisions, that isn’t the type of environment I want to create.
I’d rather someone considered the information in front of them, made the decision they believed was right and owned it. Sometimes it will work and sometimes it won’t. If it doesn’t, I’m more interested in why we made that decision, what we missed, and what we would do differently next time than I am in finding someone to blame for it.
Of course, there still has to be accountability. “Win or learn” isn’t an excuse for repeatedly getting the same thing wrong or making careless decisions and shrugging your shoulders afterwards. The learn part matters; if something hasn’t worked, we should understand why and be better because of it.
Running CREM has given me plenty of opportunities to apply that thinking to my own decisions as well.
We’re still a growing business and, as we’ve grown, we’ve learned more about where we’re strongest, the work we enjoy, the type of relationships we want with clients, and where we can genuinely make a difference. Some of that has confirmed what we already thought. Some of it has made us rethink things we were previously quite convinced about - our social media service is probably one of the best examples.
We made a deliberate decision that we wanted CREM to be accessible to different types and sizes of businesses. There are plenty of brilliant smaller businesses that don’t have huge marketing budgets, and I didn’t want us to become a business where the answer to everything was to spend more money. I still believe in that.
Where I think we got it wrong was trying too hard to make our social media service fit every budget. Over time we ended up with different, increasingly fragmented versions of what we do; we would take something out here, reduce something there, or change the level of involvement so that we could find a way of making it work for a particular business.
Every individual decision felt reasonable at the time, but eventually we had to look at what we were doing and admit that we were diluting our own strengths. There is a point where reducing a service stops being about offering a smaller version of the same thing, because you have started removing some of the things that make it effective in the first place.
Our team does its best work when it properly understands the business it is representing. We need to know what the business is trying to achieve, what is happening within it, who its audience is, how it should sound, and what opportunities are coming up. We also need enough involvement to react when something happens that we should be talking about, rather than working our way through the next scheduled posts.
If we keep taking pieces of that away to hit a particular price point, at some stage we’re asking our team to deliver the standard and results we expect from them without giving them everything they need to do it. That isn’t right for the team or the client, and it isn’t right for CREM either, so, we’ve learned from it.
We know what we’re good at, and I think we have more confidence now in saying that there is a certain level of involvement we need if we’re going to put our name to something and be properly accountable for the outcome. That doesn’t mean every business needs an enormous marketing budget and it doesn’t mean we can’t be flexible, but flexibility and dilution aren’t the same thing. I think we blurred that line at times. Interestingly, when I look at some of the work, I’m proudest of at CREM, it reinforces the same point.
Some of my favourite projects are the ones where we’ve gone into a business because something isn’t working as well as it should. Quite often there is a gap around commercial leadership, structure, people or direction, although it can look very different from one business to another.
Sometimes it’s an owner who has reached the point where too much still relies on them. Sometimes there are good people in a sales or commercial team but nobody really leading them or getting the best out of them. In other businesses, everyone can be busy but there isn’t enough clarity around who owns what, what the priorities are, or where the business is trying to get to.
I enjoy getting into a business, understanding how it works and getting to know the people already there. Quite often there is more capability within a team than the results suggest; the people don’t necessarily need replacing, they need direction, clear expectations, accountability and someone who can get the best out of them.
I also like having some skin in the game. There is a big difference between standing outside a business, producing a report and telling the owner what you think they should change, and becoming part of it and having some responsibility for making those changes work.
We’ve done that with businesses where the relationship has continued, and we remain part of them today. We’ve also done it with businesses where we were needed for a particular period, went in, helped turn things around, put structure and direction in place, worked with the people already there, and eventually stepped back because they were ready to take it forward without us.
I’m proud of those projects. In fact, some of the ones where we’ve eventually made ourselves unnecessary are probably the ones I’m proudest of.
Retaining a client forever isn’t always the measure of success. If we went into a business because there was a gap, filled it, helped develop the people who were already there and reached the point where that gap no longer exists, we’ve done what we went there to do.
When I look at those projects alongside what we’ve learned from social media, I think there’s a simple thread running through both: CREM is at its best when we have enough involvement to genuinely affect the outcome.
That doesn’t mean taking over and it certainly doesn’t mean trying to sell every service we have to every client. It means understanding what needs to happen to get the result and being honest about the level of involvement required to achieve it.
I think earlier in CREM’s life, I was probably too willing to find a way to make something fit. If the budget was lower, we’d see what we could remove. If the scope wasn’t quite right, we’d work around it. There was a good intention behind that, and I don’t regret trying it, because without trying it we probably wouldn’t understand what we do now.
I just wouldn’t make all the same decisions again; that, for me, is the whole point of win or learn.
There will be decisions we’re making within CREM today that turn out to be exactly right, and I’m sure there will be others that we look back on in a year or two and realise weren’t. I’m comfortable with that. What I wouldn’t be comfortable with is becoming so concerned about making a wrong decision that we stop trying things, stop changing things or carry on doing something because that’s how we’ve always done it.
I want the same thing from myself that I’ve always wanted from the people I work with: think about the decision, make it for the right reasons, take responsibility for what happens, and be prepared to change your mind when the evidence tells you something different.
You’ll win plenty along the way. Just make sure you learn from the rest.
-Craig
THE CREM VIEW #6
I didn't Plan to Work in Bids - But I'm Glad I Do
If you had asked me a few years ago what I thought a bid was, I’m not sure I could have given you a convincing answer.
My background was nowhere near the world of tenders and commercial strategy. I studied tourism and later worked across sales, insurance and e-commerce, so most of my experience centred around customers, communication and understanding what people needed.
Then I found myself in bid and commercial support.
It was a whole new language. Frameworks, DPSs, PQQs, ITTs, compliance matrices… apparently business loves an acronym.
But once I got past the terminology, I realised a lot of the skills I’d already developed fitted surprisingly well.
Sales taught me to understand value. Tourism taught me that people’s experience matters. Working across different businesses taught me to adapt quickly. And all three taught me to listen before trying to give an answer.
Working in bids means constantly entering somebody else’s world. One week I’m learning about renewable energy, another about marine consultancy, retrofit or facilities management. I have to understand enough about a business to communicate why somebody should choose them.
And I genuinely love that part.
I get to see behind the scenes of businesses doing technical and important work, ask questions, learn how they operate and help turn what they know into something clear and compelling.
I’ve also learned that a good bid isn’t really about fancy writing.
The writing matters, but you can’t manufacture a great story from nothing. The strongest answers come from businesses that already have good people, processes and evidence. Our job is to find those things and make sure the buyer sees them too.
That’s probably the biggest surprise about this career for me.
I came into it thinking I’d be learning about bids. Instead, I’ve ended up learning about businesses.
Every client, industry and opportunity is different, so there’s always something new waiting on Monday morning.
Which suits me perfectly, because apparently I quite enjoy not knowing what I’m talking about for the first five minutes… and then figuring it out.
- Angel
THE CREM VIEW #5
Small Tasks, Bigger Impact
Since joining CREM as a Business Administrator, I’ve realised that some of the most important work isn’t always the work people immediately see.
A lot of my role happens behind the scenes, from researching opportunities and checking updates to organising information, supporting presentations and helping across the team. They can sometimes feel like small individual tasks, but I’ve learned that every one of them can contribute to something much bigger.
Bid research has probably taught me this the most.
When I first started, I thought finding opportunities would simply be about searching for the right keywords and finding something relevant. But I quickly learned that finding an opportunity is one thing, while finding the right opportunity is completely different.
You have to understand the business, look beyond the title and really think about whether what you’ve found makes sense for them.
There have been times when I’ve found an opportunity that looked perfect at first, only to read further and realise it wasn’t the right fit. It can take time and a lot of searching, especially when you’re working with businesses in very specific industries.
I remember finding an opportunity that I felt was a strong fit and sharing it with the team. It was passed on to the client, and knowing they liked the opportunity I’d found was such a rewarding feeling.
It reminded me that something which starts with simply searching through opportunities can eventually become valuable to someone else.
That experience has also taught me to trust my judgement more. Not everything will be obvious straight away. Sometimes you have to look a little deeper, ask the right questions and keep going until something clicks.
Being a Business Administrator has shown me that progress is often made through the little things: the research no one sees, the information being organised, the details being checked and the support happening in the background.
You might not always see the impact of a task immediately, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t making a difference.
Sometimes the smallest pieces of work are the ones quietly helping everything else fall into place.
- Maxine
THE CREM VIEW #4
Most Teams Are Better Than They Think They Are
I’ve chaired a lot of Teams meetings over the years, sometimes with five people, sometimes with twenty plus, and one thing I’ve learned is that most meetings become predictable far too quickly.
The same people tend to speak, everyone gives their update, everyone nods along and the meeting ends. People have heard what’s been said, but I’m not convinced they’re always listening.
One thing I’ve always tried to do is keep things positive and keep people involved. I’ll often ask people for their biggest win from the previous week or ask them to give a shoutout to a colleague who has helped them.
At first, some people struggle with it.
When I go into businesses, I often find people don’t appreciate how good they actually are. I’ll ask somebody what they’re most proud of from the previous week and they look at me like I’ve asked them the hardest question in the world. After a few minutes of talking, it turns out they’ve solved problems, helped customers, supported colleagues, improved processes and moved projects forward. They just hadn’t stopped to think about it.
What I’ve found is that once people know they might be asked that question, they start looking for those wins during the week. They pay more attention to what’s gone well. They start recognising the contribution of others. The mindset shifts.
The meeting becomes better, but more importantly so does the atmosphere around the team.
Too many businesses spend their time focusing on what’s missing, what’s late and what needs fixing. Those things matter, but people also need reminding of the value they’re creating and the progress they’re making.
I’ve seen confidence grow, engagement improve and conversations become far more productive simply by creating an environment where people feel comfortable contributing and where success, however big or small, is recognised.
It’s a simple change, but I’ve found it makes a bigger difference than most people expect.
- Craig
THE CREM VIEW #3
Learning To Get Comfortable Being Seen
Recently, I had to stand up in front of a room full of people and say a few words. I knew everyone well, it was informal, and there was no pressure. Yet my brain wouldn’t speak to my mouth and I couldn’t make the words work.
I lead meetings every day, I present slides, I guide teams through decisions, and I keep projects moving. Both virtually and in person, so why did something so small feel so difficult? I was frustrated with myself.
It made me reflect on how the last few years have shaped how introverts show up in public speaking and presenting. Covid and lockdown created a shift to platforms like MS Teams giving introverts a way to lead and present in their comfort zone. The intensity of a room full of eyes softened, and it became more controlled and structured for the presenter.
Before 2020, I didn’t lead meetings and I didn’t present. I stayed in the background because the traditional format felt daunting. Teams gave me a platform to step forward in a way that suited how I think and how I communicate. I could prepare my space, organise my thoughts and retain control of the room. Over time, those skills became transferable, and it became comfortable to do the same around a table.
These platforms have also provoked thought leadership from people who may never have shared their ideas before; when the environment becomes less intimidating, more voices are heard. People who once stayed quiet now lead discussions, shape decisions and influence outcomes. Their contributions are thoughtful, measured and often what the conversation needed.
This shift has quietly supported the rise of the introverted leader. Not a leader who dominates the room, but one who leads through clarity, preparation, empathy and calm. A leader who listens, communicates intentionally and brings balance to fast-paced environments. A leader who may not have stepped forward without the change in how we work.
These platforms have removed barriers that once held many of us back, and in doing so, it opened the door for a new kind of leadership to thrive. There are still doors to unlock, but it’s a step towards inclusivity for all personality types.
- Emily
THE CREM VIEW #2
Blending In Isn't a Strategy
You know the one.
Black background. Neon lightning. Bold brushstroke font. A QR code in the corner. AI generated event flyers and social media graphics are everywhere, and at CREM, we get it.
The appeal is obvious. What used to take a designer hours now takes seconds. There's no agency to brief, no freelancer to hire, no budget to justify. Anyone can produce something that looks finished and get it out the door the same day.
For small businesses or solo operators just getting started, that accessibility is powerful. We're not dismissing that.
But when your content looks identical to every other business in your industry, and the one outside your industry, and the one in a completely different country, you haven't created marketing. You've created noise.
The whole point of your brand is to be recognisable and distinctive. To make someone stop scrolling because something about it feels like YOU.
AI templates don't do that. They do the opposite. They blend you into a sea of neon lightning and generic icons that nobody remembers five seconds after they've scrolled past.
And people notice. When a post looks like it was generated in 30 seconds, it signals that you didn't think your event, your product, or your audience was worth more than 30 seconds of effort.
That's the brand impression you're leaving.
Speed and cost savings mean nothing if your content is actively undermining the credibility you've worked hard to build.
Invest in creativity, distinctiveness and content that actually looks and sounds like you.
Because in a world drowning in AI generated sameness, originality isn't just nice to have, it's your biggest competitive advantage.
- Craig
THE CREM VIEW #1
Learning To Get Comfortable Being Seen
One thing I’ve had to get used to since starting a business is putting myself out there more.
If I’m honest, it doesn’t come naturally. I’m far more comfortable keeping my head down, doing the work and letting the results speak for themselves than standing front and centre.
But running a business shifts your perspective on that pretty quickly.
No matter how good your service is, how hard you work or how much goes on behind the scenes, people can’t support something they never see. If you’re not showing people what you do, there’s every chance they simply won’t know you exist.
Speaking in front of people used to genuinely terrify me. It still doesn’t come naturally, but I do it anyway. Over the last couple of years I’ve spoken to sales teams, addressed groups of students, sat in boardroom meetings and appeared on podcasts. Last Friday I said yes to recording a podcast about living with Type 1 diabetes. A few years ago, I’d have found a reason to say no.
I haven’t suddenly become ultra-confident. I just came to accept that growth lives on the other side of discomfort.
Posting online feels awkward at first. You spend ages putting something together and it barely gets a flicker. Then something you knocked out in five minutes takes off for no obvious reason.
People are watching all the time, they’re just not always reacting. I’ve lost count of the times someone has mentioned a post to me in person that I’d written off as completely ignored.
That’s why consistency matters.
Over time, people start recognising your name and what you stand for. A lot of opportunities come from people who’ve been quietly watching for a long time, not from one big post.
There’s a difference between showing off and simply being visible. Visibility builds trust, and trust creates opportunities.
Nobody else is going to tell your story for you.
Because the people who change the direction of your business have often been watching far longer than you’d ever guess.
- Craig