Characters We Work With – Mad Men
The Peggy Olson
Peggy didn’t come into the company with the pedigree of some, and therefore started in an administrative, entry-level role, knowing her path would involve a lot of learning, hard work, dressing to impress and being willing to do whatever was needed to make a good impression as some of the cornerstones of her career plan. You and the team have seen her growth, starting with her first relatively anonymous year with the company, doing the grunt work, being around and available to all for whatever the urgent task may be. She has done it, done it well, and quickly became a go-to person among the administrative group. She also created good friendships, networking cross functionally, which will help her brand. Recently through her hard work, she has been asked to take on some project work which is unusual for a person with her tenure and at that level. But you are proud to see that her good work and effort is being rewarded. You use her as a template for other new employees you bring on in what to do, how to conduct yourself, and staying focused on the larger objectives of a career. Peggy is going places, and her approach has rubbed off on others…even you.
The Betty Draper
Betty is a smart, fairly shrewd businessperson. She is highly intelligent, always knows what she wants and what she needs to do. She pays strict attention to detail from her project outlines, to her reporting, to the way she dresses and accessorizes, she is intentional with every action. She looks the part of the executive, and has risen to that role through her consistency of character and her ability to execute exceedingly well. You are always impressed with Betty, who seldom surprises you like many others do. The reason for that is that she has set a high bar for what she produces, and thus you have come to expect great things that she leads, and are never disappointed. Most others do work that is ‘fine’, and when they deliver something on Betty’s level, you are blown away by them. It’s not necessarily fair to Betty, but you and everyone recognizes that she is on a different level than most, and why she is who she is in the workplace.
The Pete Campbell
Pete is tough to deal with as someone on the upper management team. He surrounds himself with those who will agree with his every suggestion, laugh at his jokes, and indulge his often inappropriate and immature behavior. You learned a while back that Pete, who does have the degrees and pedigree, at least on paper, to be in the position he holds. But he is there for the simple reason that his family are considered ‘royalty’ in the industry, and the power move by the family was to install Pete in a senior management role as he is groomed to take over this or some other company. Although he knows how he got where he is, he walks proudly through the office like he owns the place. Most believe he won’t be there long, while steering clear of him so that he doesn’t take you down through his inevitable downfall, whether here or somewhere else. The other execs know to avoid confrontation with Pete as his connections could damage their own standing in the company and industry. But they are smart enough to know that he is not as talented as he thinks he is and why he seldom is given the critical assignments. He is given the fluff projects where mistakes are less impactful, and simple enough for him to look to have done a good job, which everyone hopes he will leverage as a springboard to an executive role elsewhere.
The Roger Sterling
Roger is the laid back executive that you and the others look forward to mixing it up with day to day. Although a top executive, you would never know it by how he talks and the casual way you see him enjoy long lunches, extended time off, and the willingness to hold as many office parties and social events as he can think of. For the newer people in the company, they can’t believe he is in the position he is, but you have been around a while, and not only understand why Roger approaches the business like this, you actually admire it. Roger is an industry veteran who had success in a number of companies before helping to build this company. He did all of the work, put in all the hours, and scraped by until the company took off. Once it did, Roger continued his diligence to ensure it was sustainable and he had enough equity and money put away to be sure this would be his last career stop. Now, he is on cruise control, enjoying the fruits of his labor, while continuing to guide the team doing the roles he once fulfilled. With everyone working hard to get the job done and carve out their own path to success, universally everyone looks at Roger with the same envious thought “Yep, that’s what I’d do, too”.
The Don Draper
Don is one of the big bosses around the office. He is a serious person who knows the company, the business, and what the strategy for success needs to be and doesn’t deviate from it. As a member of the staff, you and the others are quite aware that you not only need to be on board with Don’s vision, but be prepared to change course when he says so. And he is not a stubborn thinker, able to recognize when something is not working and will completely revamp or scrap and recreate a strategy at a moment’s notice. He is generally pleasant to be around, and you like working for him because you feel that you always know where you stand. He will step out for hours every so often, or be in the office until after midnight or before dawn. And you never know if he actually went home or has been somewhere else. He casts a mysterious shadow around the office, but he’s the boss so you leave it alone. You never know where Don may be, nor when he’ll be in the office. You just plug away carrying out his vision, ready for him to call you in, share information and updates, prepared to shift gears to the next idea at his say so. And if he pours you a glass of scotch for your meeting at 8:30am, you force it down because you know he likes you.
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