Marketing advisors to iconic brands & pioneering agencies
Marketing advisors to iconic brands & pioneering agencies
SETTING PEOPLE UP TO SUCCEED
One of my core beliefs is that an organization can make people better or worse than they are. Everyone has something to give if they’re set up to succeed. And even the very best can sink without the right support.
There’s no such thing as “good people” and “bad people”. There are only people we in management are setting up to succeed or people that we are failing.
I’ve found the vast majority of people want to do a great job, are responsible and passionate, and will provide much of the smarts, creativity and energy needed to make a great organization.
If management removes barriers, adds fuel and points the way, the new business, great work and financial success will come — mostly from our employees.
What I worry about most is failing to set people up to succeed. There are so many things we cannot control, and that trend is only increasing. But we can always make our company work better for our people.
That, I think, is the biggest responsibility and opportunity of an organization. It’s not about making a good campaign or a good pitch. It’s institutionalizing the way to make a good campaign and pitch so anyone with curiosity and desire and work ethic can do it.
(To be clear, sometimes the way to set someone up to succeed is to remove them from the organization. If we’ve done everything we can to support them and it’s still not a fit, then we need to give them a chance to find something better. And always do everything we can to make the transition as painless as possible with generous severances, promoting their skills to colleagues, etc.)