Everyone Has a Boss
Over the past decade, the lingo has changed. We’re now all colleagues, associates, and team players—seemingly equals; however, the truth is that everyone has a boss. This distinction is more apparent at this time of year, when we’re all responsible for budgeting, planning, and basically proving our worth to the organization, now, and in the coming year.
Who is YOUR boss? If you’re a marketing contributor, it’s likely the VP of Sales, VP of Operations, and perhaps the President of your company. If you’re a sales executive, you likely report to the CEO; however, you have many bosses, including the customers who heavily rely on your company for essentials. If you’re a CEO, your customers are your boss, your employees are as well, and if you’re part of a distributor organization, you have the manufacturers who supply you with products and technologies as your boss—demanding more than ever from you. It’s the way of the business world—constantly striving to the next level.
All these demands could have a negative impact and take you on a path toward futility, but I suggest that you turn your attention to some very effective tactics that can help realign you with your professional goals and put you in a more positive frame of mind. Let’s start with the most important one.
If you are a marketer, there are many resources available to increase your knowledge. Select a few goals for yourself. This could be ‘learning to use AI’, finding new resources for content, or better yet, re-connecting to the smart people in your organization who know the products and technologies inside and out. Spend time with them and be awed. An added benefit is that this will generate enough marketing ideas to last a lifetime.
For executives, I suggest engaging in a BHAG exercise, even if you do this on your own. I’m referring to Big Hairy Audacious Goal. While these might start with what you want for your organization, such as ‘Be a standout at a prominent industry association,’ it should include involvement from you personally. Put yourself out there as a speaker, or panel expert, or simply go to events and support your team. You’ll soon learn that getting more involved at a grassroots level not only invigorates you, but also demonstrates your leadership skills to others. Here are a few noteworthy examples of executives that have done just that:
Uber: Dara Khosrowshahi spent time as an Uber driver to experience the job firsthand. This helped him understand the challenges drivers face, connect with employees and customers at a grassroots level, and ultimately improve driver experiences.
Starbucks: Before taking over as CEO, Brian Niccol, scouted cafes at all hours of the day, quizzing baristas about their favorite drink to make, or problems with how the stores operated. Now, he’s moving to change the way customers experience this iconic brand.
Virgin Atlantic: Richard Branson often took on roles across his businesses, as a flight attendant, baggage handler, and more. He believed that engaging directly with frontline staff helps foster a closer connection to the company’s brand and culture.
With so many conflicting demands, there’s a lot of noise to distract you. Employees demand attention and training, bosses want plans and budgets, and customers need product/technology roadmaps. Furthermore, vendors have new products to learn and master. And then there’s always the day-to-day small emergencies and responsibilities to add to the chaos. How do you organize your time and priorities? Tune out the noise, but how?
There are many very good lists of recommendations in business publications—including prioritizing, taking a walk, or journaling, but my go to one is scheduling time for reflection. Setting aside time to review the day, assess progress, and think strategically can help you focus on the bigger picture rather than getting bogged down in daily demands.
The way I see it is “without contemplation, there can be no progress.” When I was trained as a young sales professional, I was given the advice to stop and review what occurred at every customer meeting before driving off to the next. Whether you’re a note-taker or like to record voice memos, it doesn’t matter, but stopping the action to think definitely does! You will be able to maintain focus, improve productivity, reduce burnout, and be able to navigate your role with greater clarity and calm.
Failures are inevitable, especially in business where so many factors are beyond your control. That promised technology does not work as advertised. Your new sales hire was a mistake. A marketing campaign falls flat. Your largest customer pivots. As they say, “…you know what, happens.” Yes, you should reflect, as I advise above, but also know when it’s time to move on.
As with my previous point, there are a lot of good articles and suggestions out there, including self-analysis and surrounding yourself with good people; however, my favorite is looking outside of your organization—by hiring a business consultant or trusted adviser to help gain a new perspective. These people often have an ‘inside-out’ view of your organization, in other words, an outsider’s perspective of what’s happening inside your organization.
Most of my clients have untapped resources available to them: sales training organizations, marketing agencies, business coaches, and more; however, they are too often hesitant to reveal their failures to them. They feel it somehow marginalizes who they are, when in fact, revealing vulnerabilities can make these relationships stronger. Try reaching out to one of your advisors, or better yet, get them to collaborate to create something new and productive.
I hope these suggestions help you refocus, get energized, and thrive in the face of your 4th quarter demands!
About the Author
Francine is President and CEO of Markitects, a Strategic Marketing agency that serves technology, engineering, and industrial companies. Since 1994, Markitects has introduced and positioned over 500 products, services, and companies through unique and targeted marketing communications strategies.