Marketing is a rapidly changing and evolving discipline. New technologies, social and behavioral norms, digital marketplaces, business trends, global and cultural influences and communication methods change almost every day. Yet, we expect marketers to not only keep up with the pace, but also count on them to be experts too. While this is a tall order, it is possible to develop high-performing, agile marketing departments. This is accomplished by leaders investing in marketing team building and proactively seeking out a variety of specialists who can help address the multitude of tasks, competing priorities and challenges that are bound to evolve throughout the year.

Marketing Team Essentials

Here are a few essentials to help create an effective marketing team.

1. Hire different skillsets and mindsets and foster synergy. Too often, leaders hire individuals who share their same values, experiences or personalities. However, synergy is fueled by different forces coming together to the same cause. New approaches and solutions are more likely to evolve by hiring a diverse group with different skillsets, experiences and beliefs. Once onboard, foster synergy between individuals and departments to create the success that compounds.
2. Provide a clear mission. Every company needs a well-defined and concise mission statement that showcases their values and identifies why they are in business. This will make it easier for individuals and departments to focus on initiatives and actions that support the mission. Part of this process involves making sure marketing team members understand how their daily activities and long-term roles contribute to the company’s success.
3.  Identify clear roles and responsibilities. The definition of a team is a group of people working together to achieve the same objective. However, simply defining that objective isn’t enough. For example, in a soccer game of 11 players, it doesn’t make sense for all 11 to chase the ball at once and attempt to shoot a goal. It won’t matter how fast and good they are. There’s only one ball. It’s the same for a marketing team. Each member needs to have a clearly defined role within their department.
4.  Maintain transparency. Did you know that 50% of employees feel that employers aren’t giving them all the facts they need to be successful at their jobs? Don’t fall into that trap. Give your team the information and resources they need to have a thorough understanding of your company, its goals, culture, operations, standards and changes as they occur. Examples of subjects where transparency is important include (but are not limited to) monthly revenue, new product development, reorganization, customer feedback and market trends.
5.  Foster new ideas and a collaborative culture. Lead with the intent of listening, learning from and growing with your team. By maintaining open and consistent communication, team members will feel heard and encouraged to contribute outside the box of their designated tasks. Allow traditional methods to be challenged and new ideas to flourish. Encourage staff to learn from each other and work together. Open communication across multiple staff levels creates collaboration, facilitates better understanding and produces innovative ways to enhance performance.

Commitment to Collaboration

As with anything else, doing something worthwhile takes a commitment of time, effort, focus and resources. There will always be trial and error, debate, compromise, negotiation and constant revision. However, that process is exactly how we create marketing team synergy and a whole greater than the sum of its parts. The result of that work is worth it to facilitate new opportunities, possibilities and innovations.