Marketers need to be agents of change
Depth of knowledge coupled with good judgement is worth a lot today but how are employees supposed to keep on learning ? I follow a lot of great people on Twitter and Facebook and find that I am learning new things about marketing everyday. Why? Because consumers, and marketing, are changing and if we are to leverage new trends we need to see what works and what is bull. There are a lot of companies out there using social media, for example, but having thousands of millions of followers is no guarantee that you'll succeed in meeting your business objectives (although a lot of social media people would have you believe that social media can save your brand).
Marketers today have to stay on top of marketing trends which means that they need to have a keen understanding of what consumers feel and want. Just pick up any newspaper or listen to President Obama's State of the Union address and you can get a great insight; "consumers are angry at everybody", especially big business and government. If you think this doesn't effect your brand than you need to step outside on a cold day without a jacket.
The other issues that marketers need to tackle is leadership. This not only means leading your team it means identifying the rising stars and broadening their skills and knowledge. It also means creative thought into solving the problems of your team by asking 'what if?" and "how can we do it better, less expensive and in less time?"
I believe that too many people believe that we have to be "on" all the time at work, that is we need to come up with genius and innovation everyday. That is unrealistic unless you have ultimate control. Good leaders listen and ask pointed questions to get the information they need to develop creative solutions to business and marketing problems.
Another big problem is the feeling that we have to fit in with the team. As Seth Godin states in his new book "if you want to become indispensable you may no longer be loved". Have you ever talked to someone at your company about a proposal that was circulating and reached agreement that changes were needed only to have that person remain quiet at a meeting to get issues on the table ? I have seen it again and again mostly at very big companies and it can do a lot of damage to a company and its shareholders.
Today could be a turning point for a lot marketing people out there. Instead of focusing on "doing to get it done" to be secure in your job you have a chance to describe a powerful vision for marketings future. This new future isn't about completing tasks it's about vision and engagement of your customers inside and outside the company. Here are some things that can make you an indispensable part of any company:
1. Provide a unique interface between members,
and departments.
2. Deliver unique creativity
3. Manage a situation that is complex
4. Lead customers (internal and external)
5. Inspire and teach people everyday
6. Never stop learning and increase the depth of
your knowledge
7. Possess a unique talent and never give up on
yourself.
The barrier to success is choice...
"Life's too short to
dream about a better job. Your choice is to
embrace change and engagement
or watch the clock"
