Do you love your marketing job? If you do, you might be in the minority, according to CareerBliss, an online career community dedicated to helping find workplace happiness. I found a piece by blogger Selena Blue about the perception of marketing jobs ... and one where I was quoted.
CareerBliss determined the top 10 hated jobs by analyzing hundreds of thousands of employee-generated reviews from 2011. And, two marketing management positions landed on the list.
Director of Sales and Marketing hit at number two, with only IT Director beating it out. Ouch. And Marketing Manager slipped on the list at number 10 spot.
What makes marketers dissatisfied with their jobs? Read the following post excerpt ...
“A LACK OF DIRECTION FROM UPPER MANAGEMENT”
As Tom Fishburne, Founder & CEO, Marketoonist, depicted in this cartoon, sometimes Marketing is expected to create magic out of nothing. Marketing directors and managers noted the lack of direction from higher up the hierarchy as major factor in job dissatisfaction.
And, seeing both directors and managers feel this way, you can spot the domino effect. Executives give no direction to upper management (i.e., the director of sales and marketing); so then, upper management gives middle management (i.e., marketing managers) no further direction than they had received themselves.
Upper management is where the change needs to begin. If receiving direction is a problem, work to fix it. The job of upper management should be to establish clear goals for the rest of the marketing department. Where do those goals come from?
Additionally, upper management should work with the C-suite to completely align the company’s goals with the customer’s needs. Marketing is about listening. As Kristin Zhivago, President, Zhivago Management Partners, said at B2B Summit 2011, “Current customers will teach you how to sell to new customers.” The C-suite doesn’t always get immersed in what customers are thinking and saying. So, it’s up to marketing to listen and translate those messages.
From there, the clear goals should be relayed to middle management. Managers can then translate those overarching goals into actionable and attainable goals for employees. They should break down barriers and open a flow of ideas. An environment with idea exchange will not only be a happier one, but a more effective one as well.
But, what if you’re in middle management and you director doesn’t keep with this ideal strategy? From CareerBliss’ most hated jobs study, we see many middle managers place all t's phe blame on upper management for their lack of direction. If direction is not relayed, look differently at the situation.
Tim Copeland, CEO, DemandEngine, suggested that “you have a responsibility to fill in the blanks.” Managers are not there to simply pass off assignments. Instead, he says, they’ve been hired to fix problems.
Well, it may be a rather large problem, but no direction is still a problem. So don’t gripe about your job; do something about it.
You can read Selena Blue's original piece over at the Marketing Sherpa Blog