Here's how you can navigate periods of change and uncertainty as a marketing operations manager.

Embrace a Resilient Mindset. Resilience begins with mindset. Establish Clear Communication Channels. Forge Strong Supplier Relationships. Implement Scenario Planning. Invest in Employee Development. Continuously Monitor and Adapt.

If you're not ready for change you're not going to make it. As a Marketing Operations Manager, this mindset is crucial. A key to our adaptability has been a Marketing Automation Tool I developed, which became foundational during the COVID-19 pandemic. It allowed us to manage remote work, supply chain disruptions, and increased workloads with flexibility but within a structured system. Well thought out processes and the willingness to adapt as demands shift will help you pivot quickly, maintain productivity, and handle unexpected changes effectively.

Vivimos en un entorno cambiante y debemos saber manejar estas situaciones. Debemos trabajar de la mano con nuestro equipo buscando ser flexibles y adaptándonos al entorno. Las claves para iniciar un proceso de gestión del cambio con éxito nos las facilita John P. Kotter, autor del libro Leading Change (1996). Su modelo se basa en 8 pasos clave y para mí se podrían resumir en formar una coalición fuerte con el equipo y fortalecer la actividad de la comunicación. Los equipos de comunicación interna de las empresas juegan por tanto un papel esencial.

Une équipe pour embrasser le changement à besoin d'en saisir le sens. Le Pourquoi devraient-ils accepter ce changement ? La transparence est de mise sur les impacts pour l'entreprise de ne pas passer à l'action. Les effets sur sa rentabilité et sa notoriété. Les ressources ont besoin d'être rassurées sur tout ce qui reste pareil, sur ce qu'ils ont à y gagner, mais aussi ce qui changera. Ils ont besoin d'authenticité dans les communications, d'être véritablement écoutés et impliqués dans le processus du changement. Rappelons-nous qu'une Entreprise qui cesse sa progression et son évolution est mise à risque de dispara?tre.

In my experience the more you prepare for the risks involved with the change the more better results you could expect. Change is not easy however if planned with a structured approach, taking peoples opinion and sentiments into consideration, involving everyone in the communication and ensuring the concerns are listened to, you can deliver changes with less to no impact. Last not but least accepting there’s going to be an impact because of the change but we should be prepared to mitigate the risks in a structured approach.

Resulta esencial realizar una buena reflexión sobre qué riesgos existen y recibir feedback de tu equipo y del resto de áreas para completar el trabajo. Lo importante es buscar soluciones a los retos que se nos planteen. Hay muchas herramientas que nos permiten visualizarlos y trabajarlos de manera esquemática. Considero que una de esas herramientas a tener en cuenta es la de Campo de fuerzas de Kurt Lewin que nos va a permitir reflexionar sobre las fuerzas impulsoras y las restrictivas.

A change well planned is a change half succeeded. Think of possible obstacles and classify them in different categories depending on the support they would need to be overcome. Most importantly, use people who are critical towards the respective change as Sparring Partner. Most of the time, they have the best ideas and foresight of what could go wrong. As a side effect, once they see their voices being heard, they are more lively to change from change critics to change supporters as they became part of the change.

The more you know, the better you can plan. Nothing is certain, but thorough due diligence will help you navigate uncertainties more effectively. Invest time to understand both the opportunities and limitations of any new initiatives and try to develop strategies that anticipate a variety of outcomes. Change is going to happen, and you're going to have to react, so look for the weak spots and be prepared.

A change has to be well planned. You have to study the opportunities and limitation to be ready. The important thing is to find solutions to the challenges we face.

Investiga más allá de los datos. Los números nos ayudan de una forma sencilla a realizar el seguimiento de nuestra actividad pero pregúntate siempre qué motiva los cambios en esos números y si los KPIs que sigues son los idóneos. No demos cosas por hecho, cuestiona cada una de esas cosas que hacemos en nuestra actividad diaria por si se puede cambiar o mejorar. El análisis de nuestra información es importante pero tiene igual grado de importancia el conocer y seguir a la competencia y al sector en general. Aprender de todo lo que nos rodea nos va a dar una visión global para afrontar los cambios internos necesarios.

Often the internal ‘beliefs’ about the profitability or growth potential of market segments or brands are not rooted in facts and figures. In my experience the reality (cold hard facts) is often not fully overlap with what people think. Enriching decision making with the right relevant facts is really important, especially in uncertain and challenging circumstances.

The reality is that without data, it's just another opinion, and if you're going to show people that change is necessary, then just citing your own opinion won't be enough. In addition, there is generally a hierarchy of opinions in an organisation and the best way to counter this is with facts. However, data are most effective when woven into a compelling story. Facts on their own are rarely enough. If they were, we'd already be at carbon neutral for example.

People love stories. If you as leader do not give full and transparent insights, people will create their own story. As leader, communicate clearly and openly, telling the story you want people to talk about.

La comunicación es la clave. Es necesario hacer una comunicación efectiva, conocer a tu audiencia, modular el mensaje y sobre todo que la acción de comunicación sea continua. No se trata de algo puntual sino que hay que estar siempre pendiente de que todo el mundo es conocedor de la hoja de ruta. La comunicación tiene que ir orientada a rebajar la incertidumbre de los equipos y cuando se realice se debe revisar que todo lo que se dice, está ayudando a este fin.

Maintain open and transparent communication with your team members, stakeholders, and upper management. Keep them informed about changes, challenges, and the rationale behind strategic decisions to foster trust and alignment during periods of uncertainty.

Hier ist folgendes sehr wichtig: Wenn man diese zwei Regeln vergisst, hat man verloren: 1. Wie ein Diplomat einmal sagte: "Sei wie ein Kapit?n auf hoher See, der Sicherheit in einem Meer der Unsicherheit zeigt." 2. Das, was wir von unseren Politikern erwarten, ist Ehrlichkeit, denn Vertrauen baut sich schwer auf und kann jedoch mit einem Wort zerst?rt werden. Wenn man dies bei der Kommunikation beachtet, ist man auf dem richtigen Weg.

In my experience it us important that you communicate to people (both internal as well as external) on an adult2adult basis. If you want people toast like adults in a challenging situation, it’s important to treat them as adults. Even more important: that people FEEL treated like adults! Only then will they keep cool and act as professionals.

Dedicating time for training is crucial to keep pace with evolving tools and technology. More than just staying current, it helps expand your skills beyond the immediate scope of your role. Growing skills relevant to your position is important, but I'd also recommend learning those of your departmental peers too. The more they know, the better they can support operationalizing the full scope of work. Try swapping out a podcast for a LinkedIn Learning course during your commute occasionally. It's a simple switch that turns otherwise passive time into an opportunity for growth. Completing courses not only expands your knowledge, but earning certifications is a great way to show your dedication to learning and development.

Los cambios, por lo general, no nos gustan porque nos hacen salir de nuestra zona de confort y crea inseguridad. Esta última se combate con una comunicación efectiva y constante como ya veíamos en el punto anterior y ayudando al equipo a formarse en los campos o nuevas habilidades necesarias para el cambio.

Hier bleibt nur zu sagen, dass lebenslanges Lernen und organisationales Wissen ein fundamentaler Erfolgsfaktor sind. Umso st?rker die KI eingebunden ist, umso wichtiger ist es, als Generalist oder wirklicher Experte up to date zu sein. Eine Fokussierung, ebenfalls von Hard- auf Softskills, ist eine Garantie für Erfolg, und das gilt auch für das Marketing.

I always think that training and development is actually about helping people to grow personally and professionally. If that happens, results tend to follow. So the question is: what do they/we need to do to ensure that they/we can be the best that we can be? That means recognising that each person is different, has different development needs, learns differently and develops differently. So try not to force square pegs into round holes, find or create a square hole that utilises strengths, not focusses on perceived weaknesses.

Agility seems to come form people understanding why change is required and being trusted to come up with solutions to problems. Having change "done to you" is usually a pretty uncomfortable experience. Focus on building high trust environments, spend lots of time understanding why change needs to happen and what "better" might look like, and then let this we who do the job get on with the "how". Oh yes, and PDSA cycles are a really good approach for supporting agility.

Foster a culture of agility within your team by encouraging experimentation, iteration, and continuous improvement. Embrace agile methodologies and practices that promote adaptability, responsiveness, and rapid decision-making in dynamic environments.

Um eine robuste organisatorische Resilienz aufzubauen, ist es ratsam, eine Kultur der Agilit?t zu f?rdern. Das bedeutet, dass Experimente, Iterationen und kontinuierliche Verbesserungen aktiv unterstützt werden sollten. Durch den Einsatz agiler Methoden und Praktiken legen Unternehmen den Grundstein für Anpassungsf?higkeit, Reaktionsf?higkeit und schnelle Entscheidungsfindung in sich schnell ver?ndernden Umgebungen.

Leverage the 5Ms: Money, Material, Manpower, Mission, and Methods. Change is inevitable and should be anticipated. Leveraging the 5Ms optimally creates a unique structure that forms the bedrock of solutions to anticipated challenges that may negatively impact marketing strategies. A solid business framework can withstand and surmount pressure, such as risks, training gaps, and unclear communication that could arise during marketing operations. An effective team's management functionality allows for leveraging manpower. When your mission is clearly stated and communicated to stakeholders, money, materials, and methods become natural supports for efficiency and productivity.

Maintain a positive attitude and mindset during periods of change, serving as a source of inspiration and motivation for your team. Foster optimism, resilience, and a sense of purpose to navigate challenges with confidence and determination.