Bish Muir Marketing

It is a very common fault of leaders, whether that be of a small department or larger organisation, particularly those who feel slightly insecure in their role, to assume that they should have all the answers. But in truth, strength in leadership comes with being prepared to listen to your team - having respect for the individual areas of expertise of your peers and an understanding that the sum of the whole is greater than the individual parts.

If you have a robust recruitment process you will end up with a team that has the specific skill sets to provide you with the knowledge that you need to run a successful department or business - a team that has expertise in every aspect that you require within the organisation.   

Dig deep with your questions

Interviewing candidates for a marketing role is tricky, especially if you are looking for someone with experience in a specific area, for example, a Digital Marketing Manager. As a leader, or line manager, it is unlikely that you will know all there is to know about social media advertising or display ads but you need someone who genuinely does - and I use the word 'genuinely' deliberately.  It is easy to be impressed when you hear a candidate talk about 'analytics' and 'SEO ranking', 'pay-per-click' and 'organic traffic' but, frankly, they can get that off the internet.

If you're not sure you know enough to sort the wheat from the chaff, then seek the advice of an expert, even if they are outside your organisation.  Ideally, they would sit on the interview panel and would throw in some technical questions that are relevant to the role.  Perhaps they could even suggest an in-tray activity that would require the candidate to demonstrate the required skills.  Careful input at this stage will reap dividends later.

Remember, not everyone can 'do marketing', despite the old adage. They really can't!

Beware the 'gaslighter'!

Sadly, humility and a pair of ears, are two things that don't necessarily come 'as standard' with all leaders.  I have witnessed a breakdown in trust where a 'leader' assumed all control, made misguided and ego-driven assumptions about the right direction for the business, dismissing any industry-led reporting or advice from the very people they had hired to do provide that knowledge. The result? A downhill spiral not only in the business as a whole but also in the trust within the team, some of whom were subjected to what is now termed 'gaslighting': the practice of psychologically manipulating someone into questioning the validity of their own thought process and knowledge.

You don't need to know it all 

Good leaders recognise the individual strengths of their team.  If, using the example above, I employ a Digital Marketing Manager, I expect them, not me, to offer up the best solution for how we reach our target market, through which digital platforms and how to measure the success of that.   As a leader, I then decide how and when I use that intel. There is a quote that says, "A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected."  If I start trying to tell my Digital Marketing Manager how to do their job, they feel undermined and deflated and are unlikely to be productive.  Why should they bother if I'm going to come up with my own strategy anyway?

Boost the endorphins and you boost productivity

Demonstrating to your team that you not only trust, but rely, on their judgement and input, in their particular area of expertise, will boost their morale, raise their energy levels and lead to greater productivity.

Want to find out how you can increase productivity in your marketing team?

Contact me to find out how I can help you galvanise your team through having the right people in the right positions within your marketing department.