Structural work
Creative direction and brand storytelling are at the core of what I do, but as I’ve taken on senior leadership roles, I’ve also gained experience in structure and process change.
Sometimes, a good team can become a great team with small changes. And sometimes, though it may be rocky and daunting, a wholesale restructure is in order. No matter how minor or major, creating change for the benefit of a team or client is something I am well versed in, and patient enough to craft and see through from start to finish.
NOTE: I have zero interest in joining a team about to undergo massive layoffs. Restructuring, to me, is a delicate and nuanced evolution of process driven by a desire for progress at scale.
structuring teams
One of my strengths is assessing how a team is doing from a bird’s eye view, and if desired, helping to restructure in whatever way will help improve business outcomes, work output, happiness, or all of the above. This can include who works on what, who reports to whom, setting teams up for scaled growth, and even retitling and adjusting R&Rs, as necessary.
Before any restructure, the most important step, to me, is defining the core purpose of this endeavor, and gaining absolute alignment amongst core leadership.
defining roles & Responsibilities
Something as simple sounding as R&Rs can actually be the difference maker between a healthy and productive team, and a team that’s falling apart.
I am well-adept at collaborating across creative, account, strategy, and other governing departments to craft cohesive Roles & Responsibilities. Beyond defining roles, I also have experience rolling evolved R&Rs out, announcing changes to larger teams, and acclimating individuals to new and different parameters that will define the way they work going forward.
evolving process
Process is not the most creative word, but it can come to define a creative team. When teams have a healthy process in place, they can work at their absolute best and thrive.
I love assessing process and ensuring every aspect of our team’s work is clear and healthy, from the macro to the micro. This encompasses everything, from what platforms we all use to work to how we brief, track performance, and even how often and why we set meetings. On the creative front, it can also mean how we concept, how we save our work, and even how we present.
leveraging ai
AI is a huge area of growth for teams, but it also comes with hesitation and fear. I have implemented ways of leveraging AI tools, specifically for our Google and YouTube clients, that can easily translate to any team across departments. On my teams, human ideas and work product can be enhanced with AI, not replaced.
annual planning
One of the most critical times of the year is scoping season, and in order to maintain and grow healthy client relationships, I think it is crucial for a team to assess where it’s been, where it wants to go, and how it is going to deliver on new client goals in the year ahead. This is a large annual project I encourage all teams take on, and well worth the effort.
mentorship
No matter how large or small a team, I encourage mentorship from top to bottom. This means, not only do I mentor my direct reports, but I teach them how to mentor theirs. This way, they continue to grow, and the whole team continuously pushes itself to get better, learn new skills, experiment, try, fail, and thrive.
