All In a Day’s Work

Outside of my job at Fat Atom, I’m working on a project with a company (let’s call this company “OMY”) that is proving to be very difficult.  I’m working with a CEO that is quick to pass off responsibility to me, which often leads to a misunderstanding of the end goal.  The employees don’t seem to be motivated to participate in project completion and we all agree we are underpaid. It’s my responsibility to make sure any new project initiatives are explained thoroughly to all of the employees and that tasks are doled out evenly.  Of course this often creates tension, as we all know that nothing is actually “fair” when it comes to project tasks.  Assigning roles at “OMY” is proving to be very challenging for me. As with most companies with which I work, it is also my task to come up with new marketing ideas.  These ideas are put into place to increase company profits, returns and exposure.  This company is a little different.  It’s not a true non-profit business, as the projected profits for this company come in measures not equivalent to money.  So when I’m trying to spark new ideas for “OMY” without specific return measurements, e.g. financial bonuses, paid time off, etc., I sometimes find myself at a bit of a loss. So today: the goals were very simple; small tasks to be completed in order for a larger goal to be started.  All employees were verbally instructed on the tasks and the CEO was on board.  However, just a couple hours into the day and employees were calling me to complain and the CEO needed a break.  Unfortunately, a lot of my job is not done on-site at “OMY”, however, this called for swift action.  I immediately left my office and headed to headquarters. Upon arrival, I was informed that all plans had been scrapped for the day.  There was minimal opportunity to get the employees back on track.  We talked through the issues, but resolved to start fresh tomorrow.  You might think that some of these communications would fall under the scope of work for the Account Manager.  However, because of the vested interest I have in this company, it’s really all on my shoulders. I have found as a Marketing Director though that not all tactics work the same for all companies.  I have some companies whose focus is primarily online advertising, with small pushes in social media.  I have a couple companies who are immersed in social media and have yet to start pay-per-click advertising.  As a whole we encourage all of the companies we represent to utilize all of the tools available to maximize their businesses. I often ask myself if there are tools for “OMY” that I don’t have in place, or how can I make “OMY” run smoother? “OMY” has lots of room for growth and I am not giving up on its great potential anytime soon.  My official title with their company doesn’t really fall under “Marketing Director” and while I constantly try to utilize the skills I’ve learned as a Marketing Director with my other clients, I must remember that the employees and CEO at “OMY”… call me mom and wife.