Guest Times: Does your digital agency have the right formation?

Positioning your team in the right formation can decide whether you win it big or lose it all. Jose Mourinho, the world’s foremost football manager, currently associated with Manchester United, once said, “Players are eggs that need a mum or, in this case, a dad to take care of them, to keep them warm during the winter, to bring the blanket and work and improve them. One day, the moment will arrive when the weather changes, the sun rises, you break the eggs and the eggs are ready to go for life at the top level.’’ While this quote of his makes absolute sense in terms of the game, we sure can apply its lesson in real life.

What Mourinho tried to emphasise on is that you need to pay attention to your squad in a way that every project they tackle, they do it as a single, streamlined unit. As a manager or the operational head in the company, your job is not just limited to worrying about turnover but the quality of football being played as well. While Mourinho is often criticised for his defensive style and Guardiola for his possession style, one cannot overlook the feats they have achieved with the teams they have managed.

But is it just about the managers or the team as a whole?

This has been a long-fought debate with no definitive conclusion but it still gives out countless takeaways based upon which any employee or a company can improve the way they perform.

Firstly, let’s break the ice. It’s not about the managers and the employees alone but the entire team. You play for the crest on your chest and in this case, you can assume your company’s logo to be the same.

‘No individual is bigger than the team’, keeping this in mind, let us understand the role of each player on the team.

Goalkeeper = Your Business Development Team

They prevent the goal. (They keep competitors from scoring your client)

They distribute the ball. (They bring the brief to the entire team)

They introduce a new ball. (Any new client is the result of their hard work)

Defenders = Your CS Team

They pass the ball to midfield (the Client Servicing team is crucial to progressing forward)

They make the key runs when required (They are constantly co-ordinating with the team and the client)

They run all the way back to prevent the goal (The back and forth with the client is never ending)

They prevent the opposing team from scoring (Their healthy relationships with the clients help the company to retain its clients)

Midfielders = Your Department Heads

These include the likes of Editors, Visualizers, Content Managers, Audio-Visual Managers and so on.

They bring the ball forward (Department Heads make the final allocation to the content or the creative teams)

They sometimes try to strike themselves (They get involved personally when they have time)

They directly assist with the goal (They brief concisely as to what is expected from the team)

Their ideation is what leads to the goal (It’s their thought process in the initial stages which leads to the goal)

They are the link between the top and the bottom level of management (You might have heard this in Henry Fayol’s principles and it’s quite true in this case)

Forwards = Your Ultimate Team

These include the likes of content writer, graphic designers, video editor, copy writer, media planners, script writer, persona creators, illustrators, web designers and so on.

They are the ones to score the goals (They create and deliver the final work which was asked for)

They help change the condition of the match (Their hard work decides the quality of the output)

Their performance can make a huge difference (When they perform, they give birth to uniqueness and they create a whole new vibe but when they don’t, there’s no way one can be saved from the client)

They have a split second to decide when to shoot the ball (Tight Deadlines. Period.)

All in all, every digital agency different and unique, and so are their departments. For managers, it is crucial to strike the right chord between the defence and the forwards to score the goal. While the midfielders act as mediators, they have the most crucial role to play in a football match.

For an agency’s flawless performance, the personnel need to be positioned in the right formation. Furthermore, Key Result Areas (KRAs) act as a referee to orchestrate the match and judge the players in the right manner.

When you have the right formation with your key players in their respective positions, all you have to do is tie up your laces and shoot towards the ‘goal’ as if it were the ultimate shot of the match.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of BestMediaInfo.com and we do not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)

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