Question

Topic: Career/Training

Number Of Direct Reports In Marketing Dpt

Posted by marketgirl76 on 4/28/2013 at 8:45 PM ET 250 Points
Hi

I manage a marketing team and my title is Marketing Manager but there is noone higher than me - i'm directly responsible for the function and its ROI. I have 7 direct reports - mostly junior (2 yrs or less experience) except one designer that has more. Roles range from general marketing to SEO to inside sales, content generation etc. Almost all my time is spent directly assigning and overseeing and editing work and making sure things dont fall through cracks and give these people the guidance and feedback needed. This leaves little time for the other responsibilities i have more at the corporate wide level of strategic marketing projects as the company continues to grow. We are a parent and responsible for marketing for all the subsidiaries - 4. Growing again, it looks like they want to add new people to the team - at least 2 to support delivery. My question is when do you just have to many direct marketing reports to be effective at your job, give them the the time needed to be successful and work on things that make me feel im contributing with my projects....just feeling a bit overwhelmed and confused on next steps.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted on 4/28/2013 at 9:45 PM Accepted
    It sounds to me as though you're about at the maximum right now, especially if you're responsible for strategic leadership as well. In large companies, the senior marketing managers generally have 3-6 direct reports. Of course, it depends on the company, the industry, the culture, and management's expectations. I'm not sure there is really a firm rule or guideline for number of direct reports.

    At smaller companies the number can creep up to 6 or 7, but at that level the job is more like managing marketing communication -- not a broad marketing-leadership function.
  • Posted by marketgirl76 on 4/28/2013 at 10:19 PM Author
    Thanks for your response - what typically would you see as the next logical step - I'm called 'manager' but serving a 'director' role. Should I be lobbying for a junior type marketing manager or marketing coordinator. With the 'marketing comm' side of the group and the 'web' side of the group, it is challenging having everyone at the same level.
  • Posted by Moriarty on 4/29/2013 at 3:43 AM Accepted
    You say "Almost all my time is spent directly assigning and overseeing and editing work and making sure things dont fall through cracks and give these people the guidance and feedback needed." - now my question for you is whether you have ever considered structuring the times when people can access you? It's incredibly easy for a junior to think "I dunno, I'll ask the boss" when ten minutes of serious consideration would yield an answer. So if you don't have some kind of 'barrier' you need one. Let's say they need to send you an email if they want to ask a question.

    You have your own work to do, after all. You need time to do them, after all, that's what you're paid for. Sure, you're paid to manage too, only they're paid to do their job too - and shouldn't have to depend on you for this so much. So try and wean them off asking too many questions. As an example you could have a general question time in the mornings between nine and eleven when issues of this kind can be sorted out for the day. That leaves you the rest of the day to do the work you need to do.

    I know of several businesses that have applied this technique with real success. It's a little tough to start with, it does mean that people start to think for themselves.

    What are your thoughts on this approach?
  • Posted by marketgirl76 on 4/29/2013 at 12:29 PM Author
    That presents an interesting alternative as well. I think I get caught up in feeling as part of being manager, I should be mentor and trainer to younger staff for them to truly learn. At the same time, part of how I have gotten to where I am is by self-initiative and though definitely not micro managing, I should try to make myself slightly less available to see how things are dealt with or does everything wait until I am available again. That being said as well - I'm trying to determine where the next resource add will be. Is a marketing coordinator the next logical step to help flow the daily work, tasks and timelines and provide at least a front level/first level for input and feedback? My boss is open to my thoughts, but I want to make sure the recommendations make sense and doesn't just add unnecessary skills to the team to simply help with my own workload. Thanks!
  • Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 4/29/2013 at 12:39 PM Accepted
    Based on your question, it does sound like you are very close to, if not at, the management overload part. 7 mostly junior people is a lot.

    One option would be to look at the areas of the group and see if there are areas with 2 or more people focused on, and then see if you can put a more senior person in to manage this sub group. For example, if you have more than one person in inside sales, then work on making one of the people the team leader or similar, who manages the other. Whether you can promote one of the current employees (either now, or build them up to the position over time), or need to bring someone in from outside depends on the people you have.

    Another option is for you to give up some areas and focus down more. For example, again on inside sales, is that this role is sometimes part of the sales role, so maybe the inside sales people could be transferred to someone else. Or is the new delivery people are involved with delivering the products you make and sell (so a shipping position, as opposed to someone involved with delivering marketing projects), maybe they should report to someone outside of marketing.
  • Posted by Moriarty on 4/29/2013 at 12:56 PM Accepted
    Here's a few other thoughts - Peter's right about the overload biz. However, will another manager help here - or (as he says) can you find someone who is junior to you who has (in your estimation) some talent for herding the other cats they share an office with? Perhaps you could appoint them "afternoon manager" when you're busy on other things?

    My other thought - you must get a lot of the same sorts of questions. You say you're their "mentor and trainer to younger staff for them to truly learn" - so make it a little more formal. A half hour (whole hour?) on a Tuesday morning to go over the last week's really pressing problem and give them some of your insights into the issues you all faced. That way they'll both gain from your experience - and learn that they really can do this for themselves too.

    That should reduce your daily workload by an hour at least. Add your deputy - and even if they're only on the job for two hours, that will allow you that time just to knuckle down and do the things that only you can do. You'll have to decide if this time is best for you in the morning or afternoon, it's your time, and using it most efficiently means fitting in with who you are as a human being.
  • Posted by AA/Swap on 4/29/2013 at 2:07 PM Member
    You can promote one of the existing staff member to sr. Marketing exec or assistant marketing manager. Via him you can filter lot of work and you can focus more on the strategic aspects of business.

    Swapnil.
  • Posted by marketgirl76 on 4/29/2013 at 3:33 PM Author
    Thanks for all the responses. I'm looking at the Web side of the marketing team and definitely there is someone there I can get to step up on accountability. I would lobby for him to have that accountability. On the marketing comm side is the issue - still alot of junior people. How we are structured on the marketing comm side is basically almost having 1 person per business company (where I mentioned we are a parent for 4 subsidiaries). I direct marketing for all the companies. The marketing specialist does tactical campaign execution etc. I still feel I almost need someone on the marketing comm side not dedicated to one company who can oversee things at a lower level than me on the day to day. With 4 diverse marketing strategies, calendars, campaigns and metrics, there's a lot of balls in the air - as I know most of us experience in marketing. Before I lobby further on, I just want to make sure I'm not missing something or overstaffing. I do appreciate some of the ideas for day to day management listed above as well.
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