COMEDY STRATEGY

Melbourne is alive with the Comedy Festival right now. It is a proud moment for me as my daughter Lauren is the Festival Marketing Coordinator this year. Seeing her 200+ design efforts and strategy across the city is a reminder that visibility is the first step of any great plan.

Strategy is often buried in spreadsheets but comedians are the ultimate strategists. They master timing, audience psychology, and the pivot. Watching Jimeoin this week highlighted how "Stagecraft" applies to the boardroom.

Finding the Human in the Process

Jimeoin excels at the mundane, like the "private sneeze" versus the "public implode." In business, we often get lost in "portal forms" and "acronym traps." We forget that a human being sits at the end of every service agreement.

3 Strategic Lessons from Jimeon:

• The "Delayed Start" (Transparency): Jimeoin started late and joked about printing jokes to save time. In business, we overcomplicate delivery. Sometimes the best strategy is radical transparency. Handing the "data" directly to stakeholders.
• The "Portal Struggle" (Friction): Many customer touch points are "portals to another dimension." If your strategy relies on 64-step digital logins, you are creating friction where there should be flow.
• The Power of the Pivot: If a joke fails, a comedian pivots. In strategy, we often stick to a failing plan due to "sunk costs." A true strategist knows when to "give the TV a slap" to clear the picture.

The Acronym Trap

Jimeoin’s "Acronym Song" captured the overwhelm of modern life. In our world, we have SWOT and ESG. If it feels like "the whole alphabet is after you,” it’s time to simplify.

The best strategy, like the best comedy, makes the complex feel simple. It was a joy to see Lauren’s work leading people to a laugh. Whether on stage or in a boardroom, if you aren't connecting, you aren't leading.