Walking the Tightrope: Overseeing Delivery Without Getting Stuck in the Details

This is a place to empower leaders who are transforming Marketing programs in high-growth companies, especially those making the big shift from strong regional player to the national stage. It can be lonely at the top – but it doesn’t have to be. I see you. I’ve been you. Let’s do this better, together.

As a Marketing leader, you’re no stranger to the constant balancing act. You set the vision and guide the strategy while ensuring the nitty-gritty executional details don’t fall through the cracks.

Then, when the CEO forms the company’s first V-level management team (the usual suspects being VPs of Finance, Sales, Marketing, Operations, Human Resources, Information Technology), your time becomes split between input into running the company and leading Marketing. Cue the time pressure…

I’m not going to pretend we can make a high-wire act that demands both strategic vision and operational oversight seamless. But we can explore some strategies to help you straddle being a marketing executive and overseeing delivery effectively.

1. Support and Delegation

Every expert will tell you the key to not getting stuck in the details is effective delegation. (Thanks, tips.) First, you need to be set up for success with the right support in place. Second, the team needs to be empowered to make decisions (and even to fail) without you.

Thoughts:

• You need a strong Director: If your VP promotion came without a Marketing Director backfill, this is a position you need to advocate for immediately. Or, if you have a resource in place that is not ready to free you from the detail, then evaluate if they can grow into the role with mentoring or whether it’s not the right fit. ?
• Set Clear Expectations: Make sure your team knows what success looks like. Define clear goals, deliverables, and timelines.
• Define Roles: As teams grow quickly, job descriptions can fall by the wayside. Ensure their roles are outlined. Their objectives for the quarter and the year are clear. And they understand the KPIs that are tied to their role.
• Empower Decision-Making: Encourage your team to make decisions within their scope of work. This fosters ownership and reduces the number of decisions you need to make. Talk about the types of decisions you want them to make – and when you do want and need to be consulted. Using tools like the RACI framework can provide clarity.
• Regular Check-Ins: Schedule regular, but brief, check-ins to stay updated without getting into the weeds. I find “scheduled” is key here – just knowing they can access you will reduce team stress around their upcoming deadlines when your schedule is blocked with meetings.

Pro tip: if you’re not a natural delegator or tend to dig in deeper than is sustainable to help the team (guilty as charged) I highly recommend Who Not How by Dan Sullivan.

2. Prioritize Strategic Initiatives

To keep your focus on the bigger picture, it’s crucial to prioritize strategic initiatives over operational tasks. This is a continual challenge if Marketing was historically ‘order takers’ from Sales or Operations and now you’re evolving the team into a professional Marketing department.

Thoughts:

• Identify Key Priorities: Determine which projects or initiatives align most closely with your strategic goals and be relentless about placing most of the team’s time there.
• Start saying “No, and…”: To ensure that your most critical initiatives have the resources they need to succeed will mean saying “No” to some support requests or offering an alternative format or timing. It may mean taking a page from IT’s book and developing a ticketing system for requests. Or templates that can be accessed from a portal.
• Stay Aligned with the C-Suite: Regularly communicate with other executives to ensure your priorities align with the company’s overall strategy. If you’ve inherited a silo between Marketing and another department, start by re-building that relationship.
• Monitor Progress: Develop a dashboard or key stats + bullet points that you’re updated on weekly by your Director prior to your executive meetings. This will allow you to keep track of progress on strategic initiatives without delving into every detail.
• Adjust as Needed: Build in flexibility – whether it’s budget contingency or external resources on hand - be ready to shift priorities based on the changing business landscape.

3. Develop Operational Processes

Having robust processes in place can help streamline Marketing operations and reduce the need for your direct involvement in day-to-day activities.

Thoughts:

• Standardize Workflows: Create standardized processes for common tasks to ensure consistency and efficiency. An example is a campaign readiness workflow that outlines tasks, responsibilities and timing.
• Leverage Technology: Use project management and automation tools to manage workflows. Tools like Asana, Trello, Wrike, or Monday.com can help track progress, assign tasks, and set deadlines that can give you a quick overview of team activities. (Trust me, not everyone’s doing this – it’s a step to get a tool like this set up and the team feeling comfortable, but well worth the time.) ?
• Document Procedures: Ensure all processes are well-documented and accessible to your team, so they can refer to them as needed. Using Loom and an AI SOP (standard operating procedures) prompt to create SOPs can be a great time-saver.
• Central File Storage: How many times have you gone digging for files for a presentation you’re developing after hours? Set up central file storage location (such as SharePoint, Dropbox or Google Drive), file structure, and a filing SOP for all team members (no files stored on the desktop). It’s a best practice for all and a serious time saver for you.
• Review and Improve: Continuously review and improve your processes to keep them relevant and effective. As the team evolves, new opportunities for efficiency arise so it’s good to check in.

Balancing the strategic and operational aspects of your role as a marketing executive is no small feat. Some days you’re going to win on the details and other days you’ll feel the detail gets the better of you. Be kind to yourself. Show yourself grace as you figure out the balance.

By ensuring you have the right support so you can delegate effectively, prioritizing strategic initiatives, and developing robust processes, you have a better chance of overseeing delivery without getting lost in the details. This approach not only helps you stay focused on the big picture but also empowers your team to excel in their roles. Remember, your greatest asset is your ability to lead and inspire, so let’s ensure you have the time to do just that.

#growthmarketing #marketingtransformation #trestleup

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