Why strategy needs space – and not another meeting

Some of the best people I know work in agencies.

Smart. Talented. Fast as hell.

But I’ve also been there – trying to shape strategic thinking in the cracks between meetings. Writing brand stories while jumping between Slack messages, reviews, brainstorms, and three versions of the same deck.

And here’s the thing: You can’t do your best thinking when your brain’s in twelve tabs at once.

Focus isn’t a luxury – it’s a requirement

The science backs it up. The American Psychological Association found that task-switching can cost up to 40% of your productive time. Our brains aren’t built for it. Multitasking is a myth – one that leads to slower progress, more mistakes and fuzzier thinking.

And yet, in the middle of the agency whirlpool, we expect to find clarity. We expect to define what a brand stands for, who it’s for, and why it matters – without ever pausing long enough to breathe, let alone think.

No wonder so many decks get built before the story’s even clear.

Creativity needs calm

It’s not just about time. It’s about headspace.

Studies show that negative emotional states – frustration, stress, low-level panic – impair problem-solving, memory, and even creative risk-taking.

By contrast, positive states like calm, curiosity, and presence are proven to enhance creative output.

That doesn’t mean lighting a candle and chanting affirmations (unless that’s your thing). It means stepping out of the chaos long enough to access your best ideas.

This is why I protect space for strategy

These days I refuse to get caught up in back-to-back Zooms or 27-person sign-offs. I don’t dilute the work by rushing to make it look good before it is good.

Instead, I make space for clarity. Space to ask the right questions. Space to spot what’s really going on underneath the brief. Space to land on the positioning or story that makes everything else click into place.

That might sound simple, but it’s rarely easy – especially when you’re deep inside the machine.

Sometimes you need to step outside to see clearly

If you’re in-house or agency-side, you're probably spinning plates at speed. You’ve got stakeholders to manage, projects to deliver, fires to fight. That doesn’t make you bad at strategy or brand – it just makes you human.

But if the work feels fuzzy, or like it’s being built on sand, it might be time to bring someone in who’s not inside riding the rapids.

Someone who can hold the thinking, ask the awkward questions, and help you land the kind of brand story that doesn’t need dressing up in a 50-slide deck to make sense.

(Hi!)

TL;DR

• Multitasking kills clarity

• Creativity needs calm

• Strategy deserves space

• You don’t have to do it all from inside the chaos

Want me to help you clear the fog?

Let’s talk → www.luckystart.uk