"Hard Work Never Killed A Man" - Scottish Proverb. I believe people 'metaphorically' die when they are done. As long as you have a purpose, you'll have the WILL to do better, improve & grow. The same goes for a team. You need a clearly defined purpose, targets and frameworks for the members to feel valued. Life in a digital agency moves fast. Nothing is stationary and there is always something new happening. So amongst the hustle and grind, how do you stay close to your values, goals, targets and vision? You get the right people who align with your values. Here are some of the principles that help you not only select the right people but also keep producing the best results for your clients. Working with a team of ethical people is a lot easier than working with people who don't stand for anything. Imagine this - you ask someone in the SEO team to do a certain task. You both agree to a timeframe, delivery date and expected deliverables. Following this, all you have to do is - 'nothing'. You can blindly depend on your teammate because you not only trust them but you have complete faith in their ability and skills. On the contrary, imagine having to follow up several times, having little faith that the work will be done as per the company's standards and in the end there are many revisions and a ripple effect on your days and commitments. Which one would you rather have? If you have high standards of personal ethics, it shows in your work, the way you deal with people and how you conduct yourself from day to day. This is something people cannot fake. Not for long anyway. To do anything well, you need to focus & be diligent. People often think they are better than the task they are given. They can probably do it with their eye closed. However, this attitude always leads to suboptimal results. No matter how small a task is, take it with the same seriousness you'd do something that has a very high impact. At work, be invested in everything you do. The effect of your outputs and deliverables has a compounding effect on your performance and relationship with your colleagues. When you're working in a digital agency it's often easy to work in your little silo and have little to no interaction with others. We have technology, 57 different ways to chat, get approvals etc. So why go to someone else's workspace and chat in person? Because you're not a monk. Work projects in a digital agency are more than often intertwined. What you're doing will either have an impact on someone else's work or what they do will have an impact on yours. For managers especially, summoning people to your office scares them. If you're not addressing serious misconduct, go to them. Proactively refuse to participate in paper warfare. It is a lot easier to air your disagreements face to face. How you do one thing is how you do everything. If you think you can take a shortcut on something because 'that' client is not demanding, think again. Your day should not be a race against the clock and a mission to finish as many tasks as possible. You are responsible for the work you deliver, when you deliver and how well you deliver. Take pride in it. Everything great happens when people work together in sync without prejudice. Starting on time, sticking to deadlines, ensuring high standards of deliverables etc have a direct impact on how good you feel about your work. Some people always find a negative. No matter what you do, do not hire or work for people who bring negativity. These people will keep you in the comfort zone where nothing big is ever achieved. Negative talk creates doubts and makes you second-guess your ability to scale and grow. Especially in digital agencies, it is important to value creativity and innovation. A positive mindset helps you flip the worst situations, scale & grow. Remember the 'Sharpening The Saw' story? Your knowledge of digital trends, changes and various channels such as Google Ads, Social media and Search Engines is your Axe. The sharper it is, the better your work will be. In a culture of knowledge, people are rewarded for taking time to upskill themselves. Ask yourself, how much time do you dedicate to reading blogs, listening to podcasts or taking a short course to upskill?Be Real & Demand Respect
Be Invested
Don't Be A Monk
Maintain Discipline
Keep Out The Gloom Praisers
Create A Culture Of Knowledge
Summary
<!--
