Leading in uncertain times

The advertising industry has been going through a rough patch. No more fancy industry events. No lunch & learns with vendors. No office parties. No more of the stuff that made this industry so exciting and vibrant. So what’s left? You guessed it, just the regular good-old job. People are reacting differently to this, but everyone’s been asking themselves the same questions, including myself. Do I still enjoy what I do? Did I like doing this for the wrong reasons? What do I do now?

This is a particularly difficult situation for new talent joining this industry. There is a lot that can be learned through osmosis when being physically at the office, hearing our co-workers solving problems next to us. Seeing people leading in-person. Not being afraid to ask questions. Connecting with one another and building relationships. This is also a difficult situation for senior staff who got to experience agency-life at its best.

In the midst of this ‘’existential crisis’’, there are a number of industry challenges that agencies are facing. High turnover, remote teams, high volume of work. Which creates more questions. How do we keep our staff? How do we make sure that they can learn and grow at a normal pace? How can we transmit our shared values while being at a distance? The list goes on.

The main thing that I’m noticing so far is that the talent market is?craving change. I see a lot of employees leaving their current job to go to the exact same thing elsewhere. There is nothing wrong with this. Change is good. Change creates growth. But change can also provide a false sense of fulfillment and meaning. Developing a new routine, meeting new co-workers, working on new projects. These things are exciting. They can make us feel good. But can these things give more meaning to our lives? Can these things make us feel more fulfilled?

And then there’s a silver lining. I see a lot of people changing careers. Not jobs. Careers. People pursuing their passions, following their dreams and aspirations. And it’s a beautiful thing.

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about this lately, namely looking for solutions and trying to make sense of it all — and I believe there are three things that any leader in any organization can do more of during these times.

1. Lead with purpose

In any agency or service-based business, the most precious asset is always the staff. Investing in the right people is the best investment any agency can do.

I wrote about this concept of employees chasing fulfillment in a previous article about hybrid work, and I think that the most important thing that leaders can do today to help their staff, is to help them reconnect with their goals. Get to know your teams. Understand what motivates them. Be curious about the challenges they’ve been through since last year. Invest in them. Coach them, and help them become better. Share your ‘’why’’ with your team on a regular basis. Empower your team to make decisions, to be accountable, and to deliver the best work they can.

Being short-staffed means that you might need to step-in and do more than you used to. Use this time to connect with your teams and understand their realities. Jumping back in the day-to-day is not the same as taking a step back. Try to find opportunities to make your team more efficient by going through the processes first-hand. Use this time to sharpen your technical skills by diving into the different media platforms. You will come out of this as a better marketer and leader.

2. Be present

This is a tough one, especially while attending virtual meetings. We’ve become used to multi-tasking, answering emails while being on a call or working on our deliverables. Back in the days, we used to have a box in meeting rooms where we’d put our phones, shutting down distractions and allowing us to be fully present in that moment. Nir Eyal writes about this in his book ‘’Becoming Indistractable’’, and also offers some of his advice in his online class in collaboration with Arianna Huffington, available on LinkedIn.

One habit that I started incorporating in my life lately is that I leave my phone in my bedroom until at least lunch time. We tend to be more productive in the morning, so I was looking for a way to maximize my productivity during the window that mattered the most. It’s all about doing things with intention. If you’re either hosting or attending a meeting, giving your full attention by locking out distractions and being fully present is the most productive thing you can do in that moment. Multi-tasking doesn't make us more productive, even though it might give us a sense that we are accomplishing a lot. I’m always amazed by the number of meetings we have every day, and always wonder how we can still get our work done in the midst of it all. Perhaps we would have less meetings if we made a very conscious effort to make the most out of them.

3. Slow down & think

Speaking of meetings, anyone feel like we’re playing Tetris every time we send out an invite? We’re getting really good at maximizing every minute in our day, having back-to-back-to-back meetings. You know this, but time is our most precious asset. It’s limited, non-renewable, and yet, we give it away. We need to take control of our time, making sure to have some time during the day where we’re not in meetings or in a reactive state. Moments that allow us to take a step back and see the big picture. Making connections between what we’re working on, and how it ties back to the full ecosystem. Reading things that inspire us. Going for a walk. These are the small actions that make us more productive, but also contribute positively to our well-being. Making time for them is even more crucial nowadays.

For instance, I book myself 2 blocks of 2.5 hours each every week, where I allow myself to be undisturbed and focused on the things that can move the needle for the team & and our clients. I call it ‘’Thinking Time’’. I take a step back and analyze the big picture, reviewing what we’re doing and planning for what’s next. These sessions have become a routine throughout the last few months, and by far, have been triggering some of the best ideas and solutions than any other productivity hack.

That being said, leadership is about finding creative ways to help anyone achieve their best, while steering the ship in the right direction. What are some of the ways you've been leading your team recently?