It's true: to whom much is given, much is expected. Although, sometimes in the business world it also makes sense to say it the other way around: to whom much is asked, much is given. You just have to stand your ground. Having a clear vision of your team's progress makes this process much easier.
“When I need to request additional staff from the leadership team, I create a chart, listing the different areas we support and noting the skills needed,” Phan explains. “I then fill in the chart with the people who are currently responsible for each part. The chart helps me and the team visualize gaps and realize where the designers we have are not fully covering the job. Once the additional staffing is approved, I also share this information with the person in charge of recruiting so they know exactly what type of designer we need.”
Another tactic: Determine exactly how much time your team spends working. argentina phone number data Measure how long it takes your team to complete each type of project (e.g., digital or print advertising), as well as the time spent on requests from specific clients or departments.
This will allow you to more accurately estimate lead times and define the complexity of specific types of requests. This leads to improved capacity planning and workload balancing, as well as giving you more authority to advocate for hiring more staff when needed.
Mekerishvili has clearly defined timelines and complexity for specific types of projects, which helps him know exactly how much work a designer can take on.
“We have a planning session on Mondays,” he says. “The senior designers from each department and I distribute new tasks and projects among the team. The sign that we need more staff is when we are forced to reject or reschedule 15-20% of new tasks.”
Demonstrate the value
Your team worked like a slave creating resources for that big conference. But when the benefits start to roll in, the plaudits go to the event marketing and sales teams. How can you make sure your team gets the recognition they deserve?
A 2013 survey of 1,200 U.S. employees found that 70% of respondents said the best types of recognition had no monetary value. A simple pat on the back for a job well done has a much bigger impact than you might think.
“There’s nothing better than telling a team member they’re doing a great job,” admits Luderer. “But it’s even better when the recognition happens in front of the whole team.”
Phan suggests putting a spotlight on creatives’ accomplishments through Slack channels, for the entire company to see or to discuss in all-hands meetings.
“Giving public recognition may not seem like much, but it makes team members feel acknowledged, valued and appreciated,” she says. “In return, they become motivated and produce more.”
Demonstrating the value of a creative team is more difficult in data-centric organizations.
“It’s hard to know when a design will actually make a difference to the success of a project,” Mekerishvili admits, “but we work closely with the marketing team to find out which design is best suited to the job. If, for example, a designer thinks that his website design will increase customer conversion, we test it. The test results will speak for themselves.”
Expert tip: Keep track of how many projects your team completes, how many hours they spend on them, and where the requests are coming from. Provide stakeholders with a report that highlights this information, like Premier Sotheby's International Realty's marketing team does.
“When you’re working with 900 different people and independent contractors, being able to demonstrate value is critical,” says Christina Anstett, Sotheby’s direct marketing specialist. “Putting together a report and demonstrating how many jobs have been completed on their behalf over a certain period of time is incredibly helpful to us.”
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