Taking a Step Back and Finding the Time

Everybody, from time to time, should take a step back and watch himself go by. -Thomas Watson Senior, Founder of IBM 

I was seriously concerned about how much I would miss school once I graduated from college… I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t studying, working on homework or learning something new, and I should have known better than to have believed that any of those things would end once I entered the working world.

I’m still learning alright, but the way I’m learning has changed- for the good and the bad. The hands-on experience and chance to apply all my book-knowledge has been incredible.  I’ve gotten experience with advertising plans and submissions, direct marketing creative and printing and tradeshow preparation, and I’ve even helped research and write the occasional new business plan. But with the learning curve, not to mention all that’s gone on outside of work with family, friends and the holidays, comes a few difficulties. 

Sometimes it’s easy to get so caught up in doing the day-to-day survival activities that I don’t make the time to take a step back and look at the big picture for each of my clients.

One thing I love about Akhia is that making the time to step back is not only suggested, it’s required.  We have had agency meetings specifically for that purpose where everyone is asked to brainstorm out-of-the-box ideas for clients that will meet long-term or big picture goals.  I thought I would have an advantage since I’m still relatively new to some of my accounts, but it was still a hard thing to do, stepping back and taking a look. It’s something we as an agency should do more often, but it’s also something I’ve tasked myself to do more often as well.

I believe in applying what I’ve learned in the classroom to the real world, and although experience is providing it’s own lessons, I like to think that all my hard book work was also worth the effort I put forth. One client that I particularly enjoy consumed quite a bit of my past week, but the results- and some of the projects moving forward- are why I love this industry, why classroom knowledge doesn’t have to go to waste and why I really believe in the work I do.

Our client decided to create a newsletter to communicate company messaging to hourly employees, mapping out the newsletter’s frequency, topics and logistics.  Per our recommendation, the client allowed us time to complete a focus group with employees to determine the appeal of the creative design as well as confirm management’s decisions on the newsletter topics.  I was lucky enough to go along to help take notes during the discussion, which turned up a myriad of communications issues far surpassing the original focus on a newsletter. 

We quickly advised the client to postpone the newsletter idea and allow us to complete more focus groups in order to learn about a number of communications issues that had gone long unnoticed.  The client’s president was very receptive and immediately took action, and I spent a week listening to employees who were confused and frustrated about their jobs as well as the direction of the company because communication to them had been limited, in frequency and content, and their ability to give input had been, in their eyes, non-existent. 

It was no surprise to me that what these employees wanted most was a movement toward two-way communications exchanges and face-to-face time with direct management as well as company leadership. Guess those text books I bought for class were worth it after all.

We are advising on next steps moving forward, but I don’t underestimate the importance of working with a company president so well respected by employees that they believe she can and will make a difference.  She has taken immediate steps to follow up with employees and express that something will be done to address the issues, and I am excited to be a part of the follow-through. 

This is what I went to school to do… build relationships, overcome communications barriers and make a difference.