New Dawn
It took us time to get there, but we now have a system that allows our team to set clear goals based on personal growth and peer feedback. Each week they track how they feel they did in terms of those goals.
It's been amazing. The team has really leaned in and thought about their future here at MKG and where they want to go. They're asking really powerful questions and pushing leadership to develop answers. Which we’re looking forward to sharing mid May.
The other thing about our new goal process is it allows leadership and employees to really look at organizational fit. It has pushed both sides to evaluate it and in some cases we've had to let people go and in others, people decided to take new opportunities elsewhere.
As we like to say here at MKG, it’s a two way street.
As much as we promise work/life balance, flexibility, remote work, and other standard and above par benefits, in return we need accountability. How are you meeting and exceeding our mission and values consistently?
On the flip side, are we meeting your individual needs of growth, acknowledgement of your hard work, and ensuring you feel like you belong?
New Day
Two of our longest tenured MKG-units, as AnDrae' likes to call us, left the agency earlier this year. Wow. To be at an agency for 5+ years. That's almost unheard of! And what an honor to have worked with Jessica Ward and Adam Bullock.
Jessica has an engineer's brain. She really pushed for systems and processes when she first joined and through the years. She looked to increase efficiency and find ways to make sure we didn't drop the ball for clients. We have her to thank for moving us from Basecamp to Asana and uncovering all the fancy nuances and shortcuts to wire things up, so we can measure everyone’s workload (with the help and support of the other Account Directors as no one is an island here at MKG!). I enjoyed working with Jessica and I really miss her love and energy for our company and culture. She's now at NRCAAU as a Digital Strategist and I truly wish her all the best.
Adam Bullock. Oh that guy. Adam was actually our second employee. We asked Christian Bullock if we could clone him (in jest) and he said, “as a matter of fact……”
Adam was not a clone of Christian. Well, maybe they shared some of the same genes, but he had a completely different skill set and way of looking at things that made the Christian and Adam dynamic explosive when it came to fearless ideas. A great example of this was our vCloud Air work where they found the vMUG community and helped propel the new product off the ground.
We’ve been working with ExtraHop now for almost 6 years and I believe Adam is a big reason for the longevity. As a PPC Specialist he really understood their business and customers and was able to get their lead machine up and humming. As their Account Director, he created a constant stream of communication so our clients at ExtraHop knew exactly where all the moving pieces of their business stood.
Adam is now over at Weaveworks as a Marketing Manager and we can't wait to see how he helps them grow to their full potential. It's going to be awesome. Treat him well, Sonja!
New Life
When doors close, new ones open.
Last week Alanna Moman-Rawden started and we are thrilled to have her partner with Sam and the West Coast team of experts. She has 10+ years of account director experience in the digital marketing space. She is ready to hit the ground running!
We also have brought on a virtual assistant, Aimee Ebarle. She comes from a business analyst and project management background at large consulting firms like Accenture, which is precisely why we asked her to join us! She has become our tasking QUEEN! Ensuring experts get new tasks so the Account Directors can easily plan client deliverables for the weeks to come. She is also partnering with our analytics team in helping them automate data aggregation across systems on a weekly basis. We’re thrilled to have her and look forward to seeing our Account Directors and Experts propel client relationships forward as they get out of the weeds and look up, out, and forward towards our client’s business outcomes even more effectively.
We are looking for one more Account Director to join our team. Are you an experienced AD with 8+ years of experience? Maybe you know someone? Check out our job description and be sure to apply or share. We look forward to hearing from you!
And I’m Feeling Good
The new process of tracking people’s goals has been a game changer. The team has set some lofty individual, intentional goals and I’m so excited to watch each person thrive. One of our values is “Big Picture”. Part of seeing the big picture is to see your own. Then have the growth mindset to get after it. As an organization we have a growth mindset, always looking to improve. This system is a great new element that helps us do just that.
Until next time…
Looking for other ideas for your own growth? Check out season 7 of Tea Time With Tech Marketing Leaders, where Larry Long, Michael Sherlock, and Max Borges talk about new ways to find your values, potential, and a career you love.
