brittan bright - interactivity is interpersonal - real work requires #realtalk

@iPullRank

REAL WORK REQUIRES #REALTALK

Interactivity is

interpersonal

BRITTAN BRIGHT DIRECTOR OF CLIENT STRATEGY

@ibrittanbright

@BrittanBright

www.linkedin.com/in/brittanbright/

“What is your go-to tactic for interviewing people you don’t like?”

“Ever heard of Xanax?”

Over the last 10 years I have worked with, and for,

a lot of brands and agencies.

WHAT WE DO NOW

TOUCHES SO MANY THINGS

strategy creative

sales legal Customer service

HR

IT ops

@brittanbright

Iacquire.com @iacquire

PEOPLE...

@brittanbright

Well actually, touches so many

Iacquire.com @iacquire

Usually Not people we’ve chosen

Iacquire.com @iacquire

@brittanbright success In any collaboration the goal is

@brittanbright

Iacquire.com @iacquire

@brittanbright challenging Collaborations are often

@brittanbright

@brittanbright

How do we collaborate successfully? I am not here to present a case study. I am here

to talk about what happens on the road to the

case study and how to get there.

Let’s discuss overcoming the challenges to our work.

OBSTACLE #1: GROUP DYNAMICS No matter who you are collaborating with, there are some common challenges you will likely run into. People not being able to work together effectively is one of the biggest challenges to great work.

@brittanbright

@iPullRank iacquire.com

If we aren’t involved in the action, we often have front row seats for it.

@brittanbright

@brittanbright fighting @brittanbright

@iPullRank iacquire.com @brittanbright

Finger-pointing

@iPullRank iacquire.com @BRITTANBRIGHT

Dropped balls @brittanbright

@brittanbright We’ve all been there

@brittanbright

Problems can be due to individuals

POLITICS AMBITION BRILLIANCE LEADERSHIP PERSONALITIES COMPETITIVENESS

@ibrittanbright

@iPullRank iacquire.com

Office Politics

Can Breed distrust & distraction

@brittanbright

@iPullRank iacquire.com @brittanbright talent @brittanbright

Personality can overshadow

@iPullRank iacquire.com

Leaders can lose touch and sometimes

hinder more than help

@brittanbright

@brottanbright iacquire.com

Ambition can

distract us from our

purpose and cause lines

to blur

BRILLIANCE DOESN’T GUARANTEE EASY TO WORK WITH

@brittanbright iacquire.com

@BRITTANBRIGHT iacquire.com

Not everyone’s

competitive side is their

best side

@brittanbright

Problems can be

cultural

FOCUS TALENT STRUCTURE RESOURCES COMMUNICATION ACCOUNTABILITY

@ibrittanbright

Leadership plays a key role in setting the tone for collaboration across an organization or project. The culture of a team is often defined, intentionally or not, by its leaders. Those of us in leadership roles have a responsibility to actively promote problem-solving and teamwork in a collaborative environment.

@BRITTANBRIGHT iacquire.com

LEADERSHIP: SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION STARTS AT THE TOP

@brittanbright

Effectively communicating when there are so many styles and methods of communication in today’s world can be immensely challenging. Breakdowns in communication can come in many forms. The most successful people are versatile and deliberate in their ability to communicate.

COMMUNICATION: MISCOMMUNICATION IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL AND THE PRIMARY REASON COLLABORATIONS FAIL.

@BRITTANBRIGHT Outweighs the strength of being right @brittanbright

Being outrageous when communicating outrage often

OBSTACLE #2: OTHER DEPARTMENTS Can’t get anything through legal? It have a backlog through memorial day 2014? In business there are many areas to consider and although we may be separated into silos, that does not make for effective collaboration. The ability to build bridges throughout a company is an incredibly valuable skillset.

@brittanbright

@iPullRank iacquire.com @brittanbright

legal @brittanbright

@iPullRank iacquire.com

Dealing with red tape is part of

getting anything innovative, or

inventive, accomplished.

@BRITTANBRIGHT

@iPullRank iacquire.com

Legal professionals are people too. Respect and try to

understand what they do if you want them to do the same

for you.

@BRITTANBRIGHT

@brittanbright

Don’t ignore the rules, even if you need to break them.

Ask for guidelines & tips

@brittanbright

Plan ahead and include your legal team, and their turnaround times, in your planning.

Take the time to educate and excite legal on your project

Time invested in understanding how the situation you are facing came to be is time well spent. Walls generally exist in an effort to protect and preserve. Understanding how they are built will help you figure out how to scale the obstacle they represent.

@BRITTANBRIGHT

Education and context

@iPullRank iacquire.com @brittanbright

it @brittanbright

@iPullRank iacquire.com @brittanbright

@iPullRank iacquire.com

IT professionals are people too. Respect and try to

understand what they do if you want them to do the

same for you.

@brittanbright

Don’t ignore the rules, even if you need to break them.

Ask for guidelines & tips

@brittanbright

Plan ahead and include your it team, and their turnaround times, in your planning.

Take the time to educate and excite it on your project

@BRITTANBRIGHT technology @brittanbright

Never underestimate the problem solving ability of

Time invested in fully understanding what you are actually asking for and how it affects others within your organization is time well spent. Walls represent structure and before you change a structure, you must understand it..

@BRITTANBRIGHT

Education and context

OBSTACLE #3: GETTING BUDGET

Teams are just a smaller version of an organization. To succeed, Employ the skillsets of a business to be effective including the revenue driving functions.

@brittanbright

@brittanbright

@iPullRank iacquire.com @BRITTANBRIGHT

opportunity @brittanbright

Money represents confidence and

@brittanbright

You must believe in your ideas, you must believe in yourself.

Know what something is worth to you before you ask.

@brittanbright

Ask the right person, at the right time, the right way.

Make sure you can answer “what’s in it for me?”

@brittanbright

Know what you will settle for and what you won’t accept. Then stick to it.

How much would it cost not to do?

@brittanbright

Do the most you can do with the budget you have but don’t cut corners.

Patiently Stand your ground.

@iPullRank iacquire.com

Sales skills are tremendously useful in almost every situation in life. Invest time in mastering the art of knowing what you can ask for and what you must relinquish. You must be able to sell your ideas and yourself in a collaborative environment.

@BRITTANBRIGHT

negotiation and salesmanship

@brittanbright

@iPullRank iacquire.com

If no one in your group has these traits, find them in what you are working on and make them shine.

charm and charisma

@brittanbright

OBSTACLE #4: YOU

The key to better teamwork is to make sure you are the best team player out there. Have you really tried everything? What do you contribute to the group, both good and bad.

@brittanbright

@brittanbright

@BRITTANBRIGHT iacquire.com

@BRITTANBRIGHT rapport @brittanbright

Difficult circumstances are always easier when there is

@BRITTANBRIGHT camaraderie @brittanbright

Do not ignore the need for

@BRITTANBRIGHT What motivates you @brittanbright

Understand what

@BRITTANBRIGHT Moves you @brittanbright

Understand what

IN SUMMARY: A PEP TALK

Having energy to get through the rough parts of doing real work is incredibly essential. When you, or your team start to get discouraged, frustrated or down, try to remember....

@brittanbright

creativity @brittanbright

Working within & around the confines of what you are given requires imagination, determination &

@BRITTANBRIGHT Try harder @brittanbright

Challenges can inspire us to

@BRITTANBRIGHT Power of our minds @brittanbright

To believe in the collective

So Don’t give up

@BRITTANBRIGHT @brittanbright

@BRITTANBRIGHT

Because you never know

@brittanbright iacquire.com

ThankYou Q&A