There’s a phrase, that some things (or some people) are ‘nothing but trouble’ and so well worth avoiding. Trouble-makers, though, have always been part of the creative culture. Stirring things up, not taking ‘no’ for an answer, generally in the chair to use maximal disruption for the better.
The very reason cleints come to us to tackle intractable business problems. Well, for the branding mostly. It’s normally us that introduce Awkward Question to the party.
And quite right as well. Nothing new comes without a little breakage here and there, especially if that trouble brings better as a result (and not just setting binfires burning to stoke hate.)
The other side of the coin though is just an interesting place in agencyland (albeit not quite so baracade-exciting), of fixing rather than breaking.
Trouble-shooters were brought to us as a coinage for the men (and yes, it was always ‘Trouble-Men’) with the skills needed to fix the burgeoning telecoms technology that took the then modern world from the telegraph to telephone.
When the description was emerging, trouble-shooting (with or without the hyphen) was also interchangeable with ‘troublehunter” or -hunting. Which is a much nicer ring to it, on so many levels.
Looking out for trouble, hunting out the issue, while still a bit primeval (which could explain its appeal - much more important that modern ‘work’) calls to a certain analytical bend - rather than busting in the doors, all guns blazing.
Of course we call these types ‘consultants’ now, but at risk of bringing ridicule to skills with fairy-tale job descriptions (Chief Tuning Officer. Lead Disruptor), having trouble-meeter’s sounds rather useful - especially as the notion of being troublesome isn’t all that appealing for most clients. Work is trying enough, without being you being tiresomely irascible.
For the whole other cultural side, perhaps you could turn them to the trouble-meeter (while careful pointing out, with a feint of irony, ‘No, I don’t mean client-as-trouble!’ How droll!)
If you’re looking at trouble, design is always the right place.
