I don’t think of myself as the boss of the Emphasize Design team, but my background is in business and management and my role involves a lot of the same types of principles. I see my main responsibility as motivation, and I am always doing my best to keep pushing us forward so that we are always providing the absolute best in online marketing services.
In my previous life, though, I have been what could be called a “boss.” There have been guidelines to adhere to, budgets to keep, and deadlines to meet. Plus, there are people to oversee, each with a different personality and thousands of different needs. Often, being a boss is more like being a therapist than a manager, as days can fill up fast with meetings trying to solve situations so that people can work together effectively.
But, through some trial and error in addition to plenty of research, I have discovered that there are some very good ways, and some very bad ways, to be a boss. Here’s what I’ve learned.
Let It Be
Online marketing combines creativity with technology, which is a lot of the reason why we like it so much. It’s challenging, but rewarding, and there is always something to learn.
Everybody works differently, though, even if it’s towards a common goal. That’s why I don’t micromanage. I have always trusted everyone who I work with to do their jobs, even if it’s in an unconventional manner. They’re adults who have expertise I respect, and that’s what I concentrate on. The best thing I’ve found I can do is to make it very clear what our collective objectives are as a team, and then facilitate so that we have the tools we need to allow us to reach them together.
Be Willing to Fight
I definitely don’t mean you should fight with your team. I definitely do mean that you should fight for your team.
Even bosses have bosses (well, most of them), and we’re always under pressure to meet demands that come down from people with far more influence than us. And there’s also pressure from our colleagues. In fact, more than often it was other managers at the same level as me who were the most challenging.
I like to think of myself as like a coach in these situations. I have a team, and we work together. I know where our strengths are, I know where our weaknesses are, and I always stick with my people. So, if someone is expressing disapproval of one of my employees or my team as a whole, or being overly demanding, I always try to manage expectations in a positive way, but won’t allow for my team to be put down or give in to anything unreasonable. This not only builds my staff’s trust in me, but it is also simply the right thing to do.
Involve Your Team in the Decision-Making Process
If big decisions are being made that will affect every member of my team, it’s only fair to involve them in the process. Quite often in a workplace, especially within a large and unwieldy organization, changes come down the pipeline and there’s not a whole lot that can be done about it. Except choosing how to deal with it. That’s why I try to involve my people in all decision-making processes that will affect them and their workflow. Almost always this works out to everyone’s benefit, as they tend to have a lot of good ideas that solve problems effectively.
Set Aside Time to Have Fun
Let’s face it, even if you have the best job in the world, getting up to go to work every morning can be hard. I encourage a bit of joking around and shenanigans in the workplace, because, well, why not? Life is stressful and we spend a lot of it at work, so if there’s an opportunity to have a laugh, I say go for it. I like to schedule regular outings, like to a park for a barbecue, bowling, a locked room, a movie, or whatever, to not only offer a break from the often-hectic pace of work, but to also build our understanding of one another as people and strengthen relationships all the way around.
Know Why You’re Doing What You’re Doing
At Emphasize Design, we always start with why. The best way to inspire someone into an action is to show them why they should be doing it. The online marketing team at Emphasize Design helps you find your why, and once we do, we can complement it with appealing web design and attractive online marketing to grow your Calgary business. We offer all of the tools you need to convert more leads, build better relationships, and close more deals.
