Tag Archives: Leadership

Spin your agency into the future

Anass Koudiss | Global Education Programme Manager, Leadership

Reading time: 3 minutes

If you’ve read a newspaper or an advertising industry magazine in the last few weeks, it’s very likely that machine learning and automation were mentioned at least once. They’re the hottest new topics in the marketing world.

As the tech evolves, and manual tasks move towards automation, it’s up to agency leaders to make sure it’s being used to provide new value to their clients and spur agency growth.

Since every agency is unique, each will need to take its own approach. Every agency has its own strengths, growth opportunities and resource capabilities. What many agencies have in common, though, is their powerful ability to grow and transform quickly in an industry that’s constantly changing.

At Google, we’re powering our advertising solutions with machine learning. Automated solutions like Smart Bidding, Smart Creatives, and App campaigns take care of routine tasks, freeing up your team to focus on ad-testing, advanced insights, or more face time with clients.

As with any big change, adopting this new approach takes a lot of planning. So we developed a powerful framework called “The Web of Transformation”, to help you envision the future of your unique agency. To get started, bring your leadership team together, print out this A3 poster, and spin your agency web with the following steps:

1. To begin, choose the eight most important dimensions that make up your agency. Specifically, pick the eight things that help you and your clients grow.

2. Feel free to choose from the suggestions here, but make sure you pick dimensions that make sense for your agency.

3. Next, with the help of your team, rank each of the eight dimensions from most important to least.

4. Finally, grade your ability in each dimension on a scale of 1 to 5. Here’s an example of what it should look like.

5. Make sure to evaluate and analyse where you excel, and where you need to step up your game. Ask yourselves the questions below to help drive the discussion.

Together, we can use this process to capitalize on automation and Machine Learning opportunities, as we've done before with mobile, multi-screen, and video. So weave your web carefully, it will give you a glimpse into the future of your agency.

Source: AdWords Agency Blog

Unleash your creativity

Reading time: 5 minutes

In a world of superheroes, creativity is a real human superpower. Everybody has it. It doesn’t just live within certain types of people within an agency. We all have creative potential. But as we get older, safer and more comfortable, we run the risk of losing that creative spark as life becomes associated with routine and order.

So is there a way to get back into your creative self? What methods from business, innovation or anywhere else are there to help you tap into that wellspring of positive ideas?

We sat down with Doctor Frederik Pferdt, Google’s Chief Innovation Evangelist, for the Google Partners Podcast episode 31, and he offered some fascinating insights (and tips) on how to answer some of those questions. During the discussion, he offers his thoughts on how adults can rekindle some of the creative fire they had as children, and other key takeaways to spark innovation at every level.

Ask questions

According to Doctor Pferdt it’s not only about ideas, but also about asking the right questions, finding good problems and therefore developing a healthy disregard for the impossible. Find a “what if” and a “why”.

As author and marketing guru, Simon Sinek recommends that you see if you can reframe the problem by getting to its roots. “Start with a Why.” Why do you normally approach a certain challenge from the angle you do, and why not step away from the issue and take a completely new perspective? Try something new. Get into a room, fill a wall or even two with post-it notes: what connections can you make and what new associations can you find, when you are free to consider them?

Break routines

Every human being is looking for routines. They give us safety, security and save our brains energy. They make us feel good. That said, routines sometimes only help us to perform to our average level or below. Like putting your smartphone into ‘Low Power’ mode, some of the more complicated applications won’t work. To free us from the shackles of everyday thinking, it can be necessary to break those routines. Go and walk a mile, go check out a local gallery. Or even, as Jan Chozen Bay suggests in Mindfulness on the Go, pause and take a breath every time you walk through a door². You can also make a list of your routines and they see if any of them are worth breaking (just as some will be worth holding onto).

Two modes for thinkers

As Doctor Pferdt mentions, it’s helpful to consider different approaches to thinking. According to him, there are two kinds of thinking: Divergent thinking powers the imagination, so it’s used for generating new possibilities and combining new thoughts. Convergent thinking powers your judgment, when you’re making decisions it’s how you evaluate and it’s the mode you use when you’re testing something or criticizing.

Allow yourself to recognize which of the two modes you are using. For example, try to think divergently when considering your methods or plans, so that you can embrace new possibilities. Give your ideas a chance to breathe before you start to criticize (and think convergently). One practical example writers use: if you have a speech or memo to deliver, try writing it out with a pen and paper before you type it out, and don’t stop to edit yourself. Let the words flow first and come back to edit later. You’ll find the shape of your ideas, which you can then come back to and refine with your critical eye later.

Challenge assumptions

Why is it that way, why can’t it be different? New, radical solutions mostly emerge outside of our comfort zone. Constraints should be welcomed as an opportunity. Consider early users of Twitter. Writing a coherent message in just 140 characters (as it used to be) seemed a crazy challenge. But the constraint became creative fuel to millions of messages and new ways of communicating in shorthand. Just as the rigid structures of the meter, rhyme, and theatrical convention were subverted by William Shakespeare - even as he adhered to them.

From the Elizabethans to the present day, forms of convention and modes of communication move forward inexorably. The most successful thinkers and doers have to be ready to learn new ways and keep themselves learning, so they can stay in touch.

Build innovation into your daily routine

When you consider the pace of change in technology, it makes sense to include ‘innovator’ in your job description, in both your actions and attitude. What can you learn and take on in your thinking that will prepare you for the changes to come?

Doctor Pferdt recommends adopting what researcher Carol Dweck calls a “growth mindset” (the idea that we can grow our brain's capacity to learn and to solve problems), which can start a virtuous cycle whereby believing you can improve, you actually improve. There is also a sense that having an open mind to new ways of working will not just be crucial in 2019 but might also be the key to agency success in the future. Scott Harrison, founder of The Boom! has this to say on learning at work and the importance of a certain kind of versatility.¹

In the end, the challenge comes back to us all. How do you change your everyday approach to get creative?

Tune in to the Google Partners Podcast to find out more; and let us know your thoughts on Twitter.

¹ Kapow! how you can hack, teach, make and steal your way to creativity in digital, Think With Google, June 2018
² Hacking your innovation mindset, re:Work, June 2018

Source: AdWords Agency Blog

Recruiting talent is a talent

Interviewing candidates for a position in your agency is a lot like speed dating. It can be interesting, and exciting, and a little awkward, but while you only have a few short minutes to get to know one another, when you meet the right person it can be the start of a great (working) relationship.

Preparing for those few minutes is crucial, that’s why we’ve put together some helpful advice and tips to help you get ready.

Before the interview

Be detailed in your job description: The more specific you are, the more qualified your candidates will be. If you’re vague, you risk creating work for yourself as you sift through hundreds of unsuitable applications.

Screen with phone interviews: This is a great time-saver for you and your applicants. It gives you the chance early on to narrow down your selects and save them some disappointment as well.

On the day

Ask interesting questions: If you ask every candidate where they see themselves in five years or what three words their friends would use to describe them, you’ll be burnt out listening to answers before lunchtime. Ask questions that keep candidates on their toes so you’ll see their true self, not their rehearsed answers.

Sell yourselves: An interview is as much about a candidate deciding if they want to work for you. Make sure you discuss potential career progression, benefits, work-life balance etc. to make the position more appealing.

Be open minded: It’s important to choose someone who meshes with your company culture. Take the time to show candidates around and introduce them to some of the team to help them get a feel for the place and see if they feel at home.

Follow up

Be respectful: Even if you choose not to hire a candidate, remember they still took time out of their day to come to the interview. Let them know if they didn’t get the job and offer honest feedback. Just because they’re not right for the job now doesn’t mean they won’t be later on. And who knows? They might be interviewing you someday.

If you’d like to learn more about perfecting the interview process, check out our helpful video below:

Source: AdWords Agency Blog

Lead the way!

Think of the best managers you’ve ever worked with. What makes them stand out in your mind? Was it their compassion? Their problem-solving abilities? Maybe their knowledge of their field and willingness to teach?

It can be difficult to pinpoint what exactly makes a great leader, because a truly great leader and a great manager has a combination of qualities. It’s about more than turning a blind eye when you take a long lunch; a great manager is one who will help you to excel in your field and give you the tools to grow.

There are 12 different leadership styles that define the most famous leaders throughout history, but unless your boss is ruling a country then chances are you’ll encounter just five of the 12 within the workplace:

Laissez-Faire

This type of leader is extremely laid back. They don't directly supervise staff and rarely offer feedback.

Autocratic

Autocratic leaders are lone wolves, making decisions without giving their staff a say in matters.

Participative

A more democratic leadership style where managers value their team’s input before making decisions.

Transactional

Transactional managers are goal-oriented and will reward or punish their teams based on performance.

Transformational
These leaders are big-picture thinkers and motivate their staff through communication and visibility.

Different types of people thrive under different types of leadership, sometimes being a great manager means being a combination of all five. For example a laissez-faire style of manager doesn’t often provide feedback and support to their staff, and while some staff might feel unsupported, others prefer the hands-off approach in order to prove they can be an independent worker. Autocratic leaders tend to make decisions without consulting their staff, while participative leaders prefer to make decisions with a lot of input.

It’s easy to see how different styles of leadership can rustle some feathers, so it might be worth examining what type of leadership style you most identify with and see if you might be excluding some of your staff.

To learn more about becoming a better manager, you can check out our helpful guide - Building effective management skills - or watch the video below for more information.

Source: AdWords Agency Blog

New resources for building inclusive tech hubs

Posted by Amy Schapiro and the Women Techmakers team

For the tech industry to thrive and create groundbreaking technology that supports the global ecosystem, it is criticalto increase the diversity and inclusion of communities that make the technology. To support this global network of tech hubs - incubators, community organizations, accelerators and coworking spaces - Women Techmakers partnered with Change Catalyst to develop an in-depth video series and set of guides on how to build inclusive technology hubs.

Watch the videos on the Women Techmakers YouTube channel, and access the how-to guides on the Change Catalyst site [via this link].

For more information about Women Techmakers, Google's global program supporting women in technology, and to join the Membership program, visit womentechmakers.com.

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Tag Archives: Leadership

Spin your agency into the future

Anass Koudiss | Global Education Programme Manager, Leadership

Source: AdWords Agency Blog

Unleash your creativity

Ask questions

Break routines

Two modes for thinkers

Challenge assumptions

Build innovation into your daily routine

Source: AdWords Agency Blog

Recruiting talent is a talent

On the day

Follow up

Source: AdWords Agency Blog

Lead the way!

Source: AdWords Agency Blog

New resources for building inclusive tech hubs

Source: Google Developers Blog