Labor Day. Say Thank You.

It’s labor day. Nee-woll-ah*

“Labor! Oh, the problem of labor in India is gargantuan.” Auntie Mame**

Most of us have the day off, although there are plenty of people working to ensure you have important things like food, healthcare, safety, and we can’t forget school clothes and a shot at winning big in craps.

I live in Las Vegas, and right now, there are tens-of-thousands of people working on the Strip making sure our visitors have good food, a clean room and a constant flow of cold drinks while cold hard cash the guests earned is going into machines. Most return home with a good experience, and some return with extra cash.

I like the people who work in the casinos. The ones who are cleaning rooms, serving food and dealing your blackjack hand. They are the labor force that is bringing in the dough.

No matter which city you’re in, the workers are doing their jobs. Today. On a holiday.

Many are thrilled to be working and earning, hopefully, just a little more than they need.

So say thank you. Leave a tip – and just a little more than 15 or 20 percent if you can afford it.

**The line above is from Auntie Mame; a book, a play, and then a movie that starred Rosalind Russell. My favorite actress.

*Nee-woll-ah comes from the movie classic Picnic, with William Holden and Kim Novak. - which Rosalind Russell was also in. To me, that is the quintessential movie about Labor Day. End of Summer. Desperation. Change.

And an awesome scene delivered near the end of the movie by Ms. Russell, where she, as Rosemary the spinster teacher, is begging Howard (played so well by Arthur O’Connell) to marry her. It was done in one take. I couldn’t find the scene on YouTube. Just watch the movie.

Have a wonderful autumn!

Confusing Technology and Behavior

Once again Adcontrarian hit the nail on the head.

Confusing Gadgetry With Behavior.

It rings true to just about anything that is technology-related. I’m watching TV. I’m on the phone. Doesn’t matter the method, the action is the same.

On my side of the ad agency fence – squarely in the middle of the making sure things get done department – technology is frequently confused with behavior.

When things go wrong in an agency, as they all too often do, the first inclination is to turn to technology. We need a[nother] new software program. What we have doesn’t work, is too hard to use, the UX looks funky, blah, blah, blah.

New software will Fix Everything.

I have seen agencies and in-house marketing departments spend tons of money – the cash kind and hours (that could be billable) kind – in project management and workflow solutions hoping to achieve workflow nirvana.

Sometimes the tools (not the people – the technology) that are in place were selected by accounting, IT, or God forbid, a committee comprised of management who know nothing about what it takes to juggle a boatload of work, and resources that are hiding at Starbucks.

Often, the tools were not setup or implemented properly, training was done as more of a features overview, or worse, via five- or ten-minute videos on YouTube.

Really?

I don’t care if you’re using the biggest, baddest enterprise solution, or an easy-entry freeware, cloud-based app. You have to set parameters for use, or else everyone will do whatever they want, however they want.

Technology does not change behavior.

If you’re not getting much in the way of consistency or compliance in what you’re using now, it won’t happen with something shiny and new.

That’s why I have a job. (I can help you)

There’s more to keeping your agency humming along, and preventing people from hatin’-on one another. Tools (technology) are one thing. Process is another (I can hear The Adcontrarian now), but yes, you need a process – just basic, clearly defined steps to get things done works fine.

Then there are people.

People. They’re the ones using the tools. They often don’t know why they’re required to use them. They’re getting their work done. Thank-you-very-much. So back off. And please don’t say Process again.

Bottom line; involve users (especially creative folk) in evaluation and decision-making of technology. If they understand why you decided to do this to them, they’re just a little more inclined to use it – and use it the way you intended it to be used.

Ask for their recommendation. Don’t make it an ordeal. Involvement takes 10 minutes. Any more than that and you’ll lose all of the creative folks. You take care of the rest, and then give a 5-minutes or less dog-and-pony of the awesome solution you found.

There will always be a few who refuse to comply. If the culture allows it, then that’s part of your job: find out how important it is for management, then they have to do their part. Compliance can require tough love. You don’t have to be a jerk – help them get over the resistance.

Last, if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times – customize your solution to fit your agency.

Out of the box, plug ‘n play, is a complete lie. Trust me on this.

Technology doesn’t change behavior. We still do what we have to do. These days, we don’t have keep timesheets on a three-part form, we click a button.

The inclination (or lack thereof) to do so will never change.

And in case I didn’t make it clear: I love the creative guys. I really do.

Your work pays the bills.

The Process People Answer Back

You're late and over budget. And get your timesheets done before you leave!

You're late and over budget. And get your timesheets done before you leave!

I love the Adcontrarian. I read every post on his blog and I own his books. He has the Number One Ad Book on Amazon.

So I took his recent post to heart. It struck a nerve. It cut me to the core.

I’ve heard it before.

I am not one of those people.

But I am.

Yep, Bob Hoffman (AKA The AdContrarian) wrote a piece the other day called The Process People. From his post:

“In my last few years in the agency business a new variety of doubly non-productive people were gaining ascendancy -- "operations" people. Not only did they produce nothing of value, they stole time from the people who did.

They had meetings about meetings. They wanted to know what everyone was doing so they could... I don't know... know what everyone was doing, I guess.”

Ouch!

Because this guy is my hero, and I [usually] hang on every word (he is a master wordsmith) – and I totally trust him – I answered back.

My comment was thoughtful, and 84 words longer than his post.

I didn’t mean to commandeer his gig, and from the other comments, I surely didn’t.

There’s a notion out there that us Process People, Project Managers, and those old-fashioned Traffic Managers are out to wreak havoc on creativity. 

We produce nothing of value.

If you are one of those, please stop it, because you are not the star of the show and it’s giving me a headache. I hate pissing off my hero.

Yes, creative gets all the awards, kudos and lunches out (and drinks) on the company dime. But it’s your job to ensure things get done. Blame doesn’t work. Threats don’t work. Facilitating does.

This is where we provide value . . .

The way I see it, we work in the background and everything magically happens. I know it’s not really magic – it’s difficult, tedious work. You signed-on for this job. I've written about this before, guys.

Ours is a world where we walk the line every day between creative and account and keep them from killing one-another.

If you don’t understand the creative world, start listening. If you don’t understand the account world, do the same. Understand their minds (scary, yes), the way they think, what’s important to them – then great creative can actually happen.

Yes, your job is hard – a real pain in the ass. But I guarantee that if you quit playing the role of dictator and start listening, you’ll actually get a little cooperation. And eventually, the creative folks will trust you just a bit, and ask you to save their butts when deadlines loom and last minute art direction comes in from the client.

Save them. They’re doing the work that pays the bills.

Use software to manage your work. Understand that not everyone is willing to log-in to your system and provide updates. Find out why. That’s your job too.

Let’s all make it easier for everyone to know what’s going on by not being a bunch of process- workflow- software-spewing hags.

I am not a hag. I’m here to make sure your work gets done.

And yes, it is time for a drink. Ketel One will do just fine.

By the way, I don’t want to rank lower than social media, Bob.

Choose Agency Management Software Wisely

Once you invest in an agency management system, you spend a lot more than money – there can be hours of evaluation, process mapping and then there’s the implementation process, training and learning curve.

You are solidly on your way to committing valuable resources to making the best use of the system, entering all your important data and assets, and voila! you’re fully committed.

It’s hard to end a committed relationship. But like a personal relationship, if it was established on the first blush of awesomeness, it’s hard to let go.

You were so thrilled! This was going to solve all your problems! It would Fix. Everything.

In the effort to hang on to that dreamy plan, you usually put up with some pretty crummy stuff. The passion to do everything just right slowly deteriorates. Then you find yourself just walking through all those process steps. The critical path that doesn’t seem all that critical.

Then you avoid it altogether and end up doing all your work in Excel and email.  Sleeping on the couch.

Other solutions start looking more appealing. You’re thinking about steppin’ out.

I believe in process and I believe is solid agency management systems. But unlike what your sales gal or all those corporate logos and too-cool agency names on their website say, one size does not fit all.

You can choose a solution where you simply login, create a user, and you’re off. Or you can choose something complex that does everything. And by the way, complex doesn't mean complicated.

But either choice can and will trip you up.

Diving-in with marginal planning can lead you down the path where you to once again depend on that old, reliable mainstay of email and Excel. Complex systems work great if you have a team to customize, implement and shepherd through (and past) the infatuation stage of the relationship.

And by the way, the simple systems work better if you actually take the time to do the customization they offer – like build templates.

The complex systems work better if you pare-down the features you use. There are more bells and whistles available that any individual can fully appreciate, especially in the course of a busy day. Implement in phases.

Pace your implementation, train, and require [some level of] compliance. A group of individuals playing with the same set of rules is, er, um, a team. (cliché I know, but true).

So do your homework, ask your sales gal how her company will help you get the most out of their software. Oops, solution. Then use those resources. Get input from your colleagues, address what they hate (and there are lots of haters), take recommendations for improvements to your software rep, and continually improve. The goal is to make this second nature – not a long, involved process.

The net result is a system that makes process easy. They’re just steps you walk through to get a job done. The same as when you sent an email to the guy next to you to write a line of code. Same actions, but now it has structure, it’s reliable.

You may not stay in love with the software, but you’ll have a partner that you can count on, and you won’t spend hours searching through email, or Google docs, or SharePoint for all that crap that should be in one place.

I’ll go for a stable relationship any day.

Whistleblowers, Responsibility And My Life Before Advertising

Hard to believe it, but I actually had a job or two before advertising. (By the way, this story relates to any workplace).  I worked in the Auto Industry – for a division of Ford Motor Company, and later, for a division of Toyota of America.

I have seen a lot of shoddy work roll off the line that really doesn’t have to be. It’s frustrating, and bottom line, it’s all about responsibility, caring and culture.

Last week I wrote about management putting process (or tools, or just have a real culture, for crying out loud) in place so they know what’s going on – and can act on issues that affect anything from their bottom line to their customers.

I noted a few instances of where leaders [claimed they] “didn’t know” and I called B.S. on that.

One of those instances was faulty ignition switches – which is the latest big issue that GM is addressing.

An article on Bloomberg Businessweek about whistleblower Courtland Kelley talks about his efforts to alert GM management of issues which were met with, well, they didn’t want to hear about it. Mr. Kelley’s predecessor was demoted for making an issue of defects and was removed from his position; and Kelley who continued to make management aware of problems (more than the ignition switch), finally sued GM. GM denied there were problems, the judge sided with GM (that judge should be removed), and Kelley was demoted. He was a lifetime GM employee reduced to doing stuff that doesn’t upset anyone.

It is a really lonely place to be when you decide to take serious issues to management. In Kelley’s case, these were life-and-death issues. And the really heinous part was (and still is) an issue of cost – it was “too expensive” for GM to recall and repair the vehicles.

I can’t even imagine what Mr. Kelley felt when he read about the fatalities that he knew were a result of GM’s inaction – issues he warned them about. In writing. Multiple times.

Is it really cheaper to pay restitution to the victims’ families than to recall and fix those defects out on the road?

Unbelievable.

So, way back when, I worked at Ford. Actually, it was a Predelivery Service plant where we did a few tweaks, like alignments; installed a few accessories; fixed any minor damage done during transit (via rail car); and basically made the car clean and pretty for the dealer. The shop had everything from mechanics, to body and paint, to detailers.

It was the early- mid-seventies and the gas crisis hit. I was laid off three times during those glorious times, but while I was working, I first did claims – both damage claims during transit that the rail carrier paid, and warranty claims that were paid by Ford; then I became an inspector. As an inspector, there were things I could see – the hold-down broke during transit (from the Midwest to Oregon), and along the way the car bounced around and got pretty beat up; and things I couldn’t see – usually the warranty stuff . . . like missing piston rings or brake pads.

We documented everything we found to be a problem and fixed every car. Those warranty claims always went to Ford corporate. I have to wonder if they ever tracked trends.

We jokingly called ourselves Final Assembly.

I worked there when the Pinto was rolling off the line like mad because it was Ford’s only fuel-efficient car. We had no idea it was so faulty that it would eventually be pulled from production due to dangerous design.

Segue to keeping management informed  . . .

The point is, telling the truth is really important. That’s where culture comes in. There have to be channels for employees to advance issues to management. Employees have to not only feel safe raising the red flag, but able to do so without fear of retaliation.

At least at Ford, I had the warranty claims process to inform management. What they did with that data is a mystery.

But as for Mr. Kelley, he told the truth – and then, due to stonewalling by his bosses, even sued the company for not taking action. They rewarded him with demotion, humiliation and an end to his career that was far from what he ever planned.

But we all have to go with our conscience. GM’s management went with their pocketbook.

I have raised issues many times and have been shot down more often than been a witness to change. If they don’t know about it, they can’t fix it – right? I can never shake the feeling that if it seems wrong, it is usually wrong. I have to speak up.

As much as we hate to bring something that went horribly wrong to our boss, it really is much cheaper to fix it now than later. Damage control is hard, expensive and hangs on forever.

Do what’s right. Use all your channels, and as I said before, do it diplomatically.

Management, at any level, can be a bunch of jerks. Be prepared for whatever happens. Save your email – send them to yourself. You just never know when your hard drive at work will crash, or IT won’t be able to recover your saved emails.

Oh, and my stint at Toyota? In thousands of cars that were processed while I was there (they came by ship from Japan back then), I only saw one – really one – with a defect: a broken tie-rod. Of course that was a long time ago, before they too became greedy and started ignoring issues.

We’re learning a lot about culture here, so pay attention.

How does your agency or company work with employees who ask questions or enlighten management about issues with regard to product, workplace or improvements?

You can develop great ideas, turn out great work, enjoy your job – and management is there to support and promote you all along the way.

That’s why we do what we do. That’s when we have jobs we love. That is great culture.

When Management Knows What’s Going On

Earlier this week I wrote about management taking responsibility and having the tools (and even more so culture) in place to know what’s going on.

And that includes responding to issues – hopefully having the wherewithal to respond.

Part 1: Know what’s going on

Part 2: Responding in an intelligent, thoughtful way

Therefore, when issues arise – and they always will – how management responds is a highly reliable barometer of how engaged they actually are. Are they attending to their own agendas or are they looking out for the firm?

A great culture is evident when the bosses put all the personal stuff and political crap aside and do what’s best for the firm – that means the product they produce and the people who create it have priority. But . . . there has to be great culture in order for that to happen.

Kind of a chicken-or-egg thing.

Now, I have worked for awesome companies and agencies that truly care about employees, the product and profit – only to have one employee (in a key position) completely f*ck things up. That person is usually in HR, but I digress. . .(why is HR such a pain?).

So I find it a complete mystery - and really sad - when an agency or a company has to have an anonymous suggestion box, or worse, do a survey to take the pulse of the employees to reveal any issues that are causing grief.

Surveys are usually anonymous, but these days, no one truly believes that.

I can go one step further. One step that's worse:

Holding formal queries of staff to get their un-censored take on the firm, their department, their boss and their colleagues.

Total transparency some say, and complete vulnerability I say.

I have worked in and with several places that have done just that.

I was always candid.

I thought my employer [finally] cared enough to really know what was happening – and how I thought we could make it better. They wanted my input!

What happened next? Absolutely nothing came of those gut-wrenching episodes.

So you’ve poured your heart out – both about issues that need resolution in a serious way, and heartfelt, intelligent ways to make it better – and now management knows more about you and your great ideas that you know about them.

Would I take another survey? Yes. I̶’̶m̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶e̶t̶e̶r̶n̶a̶l̶ ̶o̶p̶t̶i̶m̶i̶s̶t̶.̶  I’m a pragmatist, so I’ll be honest within reason.

When I’m asked for my unfettered opinion on issues and recommendations for improvements I will always give them. Diplomatically. It can’t be personal. It has to be about getting the work done, identifying the roadblocks and gaps, and finding solutions.

That is what I do every day for every client.

That is what you should do if you’re ever asked open-ended questions on a survey.

Be realistic. If management is asking you to tell them something they should already know, do so with focus and clarity on problem/solution.

Maybe they do care enough to query staff and make improvements and things will get better. However, if it all remains the same, prepare your resume or settle to keep doing the same things in the same way with the same frustrations. It can be “just a job.”

For me, as a consultant, I talk to every single employee and get their take on issues and improvements. I never reveal sources and I’m always totally honest with management on what needs fixing and ways to implement change.

That’s my job. Whether management chooses to adopt it is a different issue.

Therein lies the culture of a firm.

The Buck Stops Here: Management Taking Responsibility

Harry Truman had a sign on his desk that read The Buck Stops Here.

Taking responsibility is paramount for our leaders, whether they are the President of the United States, or Agency CEO / Partner / VP of the Marketing Department.

As a project manager, or more so, as a director of a department managing project managers, I had to know everything that was going on. It was ultimately my responsibility to ensure everything got done – on time, on budget, and left the agency without error.

It was my responsibility to follow up with my team to know project status, have tools to jump in if someone was too busy or [lucky enough to be] on vacation. I kept an open door, attended all daily stand-ups and got clarity on and prepared mitigation plans for projects that had the slightest chance of going off the rails.

It was also my responsibility to push any issue that was beyond my control, which would jeopardize any one of those criteria, up to my boss and get a speedy, effective resolution.

She had a right to know what was going on that could affect the health of the agency.

She had a responsibility [and authority] to make judgment calls on matters that affected the client, the agency’s relationship with the client, the agency’s reputation, profits – and even matters that directly affected the effectiveness and morale of the employees involved – affecting culture.

This is where management sets the course of an agency or marketing department.

Recently, in the highest-ranks of our country, we hear leaders claim “they didn’t know.”

I call bullshit on that statement to everyone from a department manager to the President.

The recent events at the VA, Benghazi, IRS, traffic patterns, state healthcare websites, faulty ignition switches and other ‘scandals’ have brought to light how detatched leaders can be from the reality of the organization they supposedly run.

Even our President – according to his press secretary – didn’t know about these events until he heard / read about it on the news.

That bothers me. That concerns the hell out of me.

The Buck Stops Here.

So in a piece in NY Magazine about responsibility for Benghazi, they write,

“So the president's decisions are his alone to make. That's very different than the idea that the president must take responsibility for decisions he didn't even make in the first place.”

The article goes on to say,

“And as Clinton acknowledged, micromanaging the security plans for the nation's 275 worldwide diplomatic posts isn't part of the president's workload.”

But there’s something else that is far more important.

Command Responsibility

Command Responsibility, in very general terms means that you are responsible for your subordinates and liable if you fail to have the proper channels in place to know what’s going on. Granted, the definition stems from the military and war crimes, but it has made its way to laws that define how we manage our staff.

It is the “known or should have known” standard I wrote about back in April. 

Especially for those who served in the military, the code of responsibility is clear and absolute.

You cannot claim ignorance of an issue.

“I didn’t know” just doesn’t cut it.

So it is deplorable when anyone – your manager or the leader of your company or the country – didn’t know that something was wrong.

They had their head in the sand. They were delusional. They intentionally stayed out of the office, or out of contact with staff.

They have no excuse.

I wholly believe that we are all responsible for success. And for failure.

I choose success.

Be informed. Keep your manager informed.