Marketers have one of the hardest jobs in business today. Instead of just managing the brand and proposals, our responsibilities span technology, lead generation, customer experience, employee experience, and culture. And now, the C-suite expects marketers to become more innovative. But while the list keeps growing, budgets and resources keep shrinking.
We’re at a tipping point, where a marketer’s skills are more about our ability to find opportunities, solve problems, drive change, and deliver growth than tactical execution. We have to look at how we collaborate and introduce ideas that help the business succeed, while expanding our influence.
According to McKinsey, 84% of executives say innovation is critical for their business, yet only 6% are satisfied with their company’s innovation performance. While the past decade has brought a focus on technology and processes, when it comes to innovation, conversations grossly lack the third element that the savvy 6% of executives understand—people.
The demand on marketers for collaborative activities has spiked. But leaders often look at collaboration as a value to post on a wall, or a physical attribute of office space—standup desks, open layouts, and huddle rooms. But as a key indicator of organizational success, effective collaboration is a skill that can and should be taught.
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Join SMPS for Carla Johnson’s webinar, “Designing Teams to Ignite Innovation,” on Thursday, November 18, at 2 p.m. ET. Check out her new book, RE:Think Innovation.
Article, written by Carla Johnson, first appeared in the August issue of Marketer.
