Secrets of Success: Managing a Decentralized Marketing Team
Posted by [email protected] on Nov. 22, 2023 / Program Recap / Subscribe 0
Secrets of Success: Managing a Decentralized Marketing Team
A show of hands at the November Education Program confirmed what we’ve all been suspecting: There is no “normal” way of working anymore. While you might be part of a team that is physically located together in one office, you’re probably still working remotely with people in other offices or who are working from home that day. We all have to get comfortable with remote work—and, for managers of deadline-driven A/E/C marketing teams, coordinating teams across geographies or time zones or home/office locations can be especially challenging.
“Has anyone pulled a resume for New Hire yet?”, “Did Project Manager deliver that proposal?”, and “Who’s an electronic notary?” are recent questions from my marketing team’s Teams chats. For a centralized, in-office team, these questions might be simple to answer—just ask the people sitting around you! But we’re a decentralized marketing team in five offices, serving a seven-office region, and we’re operating on a hybrid schedule (in the office about 50% of the time)—so we need to get a little more creative in tracking down responses. As one of the team’s managers, I often feel like an octopus, with a tentacle connected to each marketer and each office, so I always have some idea of what’s going on across the region. Over the 8 years I’ve been with VHB, I’ve used a blend of in-person visits, conference and video calls, and lots and lots of Teams messages to build relationships, train marketers, and keep tabs on every assignment with a deadline.
Here are seven tips for managing decentralized marketing teams:
- Set clear expectations. Keeping a group of people marching in the same direction when they’re all starting in different places requires a clearly communicated, shared vision. Establish expectations around things like methods of communication, providing feedback, and participation in team events.
- Look for simple swaps for in-person management tools. Leverage technology to help you—don’t just mark up a PDF proposal and send a link to your comments; share your screen and walk through the suggested changes with the marketer. If you typically walk around the team’s workspace at the end of the day to make sure no one is staying too late, “walk around” your remote team by checking everyone’s Teams status before signing off.
- Stay in touch regularly. “Out of sight, out of mind” is all too real—as a manager of a remote or decentralized team, make sure you’re checking in regularly, via IM, phone, or email. Consider something like a new assignment—yes, you could just send an email. But calling the marketer to talk through the assignment gives you the opportunity to share additional information and answer any questions, while building your relationship.
- Train your team. Training promotes consistency—and, when you’re not sitting physically together, you need shared norms to keep everyone on track. Consider developing training on technical skills (like proposal writing or your firm’s conference processes), soft skills (like leading remote proposal teams), and what services your firm provides.
- Encourage relationship building. Make it clear to your team that you’d like them to get to know each other. Offer opportunities for “get to know you activities,” like icebreakers and less formal team meetings (like a virtual meet-and-greet when a new hire joins the team). Look for ways to add “social time” to meeting agendas—for example, our weekly team meeting includes “Show and Tell” for team members to share work or personal accomplishments.
- Consider local office culture. Each office creates its own culture—if you have marketers sitting in different offices, be aware of differences in terms of location or leadership. (I requested that IT add me to every office email distribution list in my region, so I know what information is being shared with each of my team members!) That way, if anyone asks you a question that starts with “So-and-so mentioned that the Raleigh office does this …,” you’ll be prepared to respond!
- Take care of yourself! Repeat after me: Being “remote” doesn’t mean being available 24/7. Whether you’re traveling a lot or on endless video calls, managing a decentralized team can take its toll on you as the manager. Communicate your schedule, build in time for yourself, and let your team know when you’re accessible!
Teleporting isn’t an option (yet), but by following these tips, you can be almost everywhere at once, building a decentralized marketing team that works effectively together to benefit your firm.
Jen McGovern, CPSM, Mid-Atlantic Regional Marketing Manager
VHB
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