As PPC managers, we generally have a lot on our plates. Many of us are balancing day to day account management, working to hit client goals, handling client communication, etc.
Amidst all of our responsibilities, one thing that can easily fall through the cracks is our workplace interactions with colleagues. However, a few studies show that having co-workers that you also consider friends actually improves your overall productivity.
I’ve worked in a few offices over the last seven years, and following are some tips I have for helping to maintain good work relationships with your fellow co-workers.
Stay Organized
When I started my first professional job, I was not so great at staying organized. I worked with one Senior Account Manager who was particularly nice and patient, but unfortunately, on more than one occasion, I forgot about a scheduled meeting with her. She sat and waited for me for 10+ minutes a couple times.
The second time it happened I could tell she was frustrated with me and I vowed to get more organized. And I did. Staying organized and on top of your daily calendar is crucial to showing your colleagues that you respect their time.
Be Punctual
In a similar vein, make sure you show up on time for meetings and calls. Showing up to meetings a little early is even better. That way you have time to shift gears mentally to the meeting at hand and you’re there to welcome your colleagues.
Don’t Schedule Pointless Meetings
One of the biggest stealers of valuable employee time is unnecessary meetings. I can’t tell you how many times I have sat in meetings over the years that could have been boiled down to a 5-minute huddle, a phone call, or even an email. Ask yourself these four questions before you schedule a meeting to determine if one is necessary or not.
Be Flexible
Things change all the time in online marketing — all. the. time. To be successful in this industry you have to learn to go with the flow and adapt quickly to changes.
Also, last-minute client requests are extremely common, which can mean last-minute requests from colleagues. We should all be ready to jump in and help out when needed to keep one person’s plate from getting too full and to help keep things running smoothly.
No Monday Morning Quarterbacking
Testing new things is the norm in PPC — new keywords, new campaign types, new channels, and the list goes on. Sometimes things just don’t work. It’s ok to be the person who calls it on a test but do so respectfully and not as if you knew a test wouldn’t work; the truth is that nobody knows with 100% certainty if a new test will work or not.
Be Reliable
This characteristic is the one that is most important to me as a member of a team. If you say you are going to do something, you should do it. You have a team of colleagues relying on you to pull your weight and knock out certain tasks.
Everybody gets a little overwhelmed sometimes or mistakenly over-commits, but if that happens then simply communicate with those involved, let them know your situation, and work together to come up with a solution to get the work done.
Stay Positive
Sometimes staying positive is hard to do, especially if you have some high-pressure accounts, accounts with strict goals or accounts that aren’t meeting goals. But I have found that the more negative comments I make the worse I feel about a situation and I, therefore, become increasingly more negative. Venting rarely makes me feel better, and it certainly doesn’t make me more productive. If you need extra help just ask for it, and don’t make a habit of complaining.
Ultimately, it’s beneficial for all involved when everyone maintains helpful, positive attitudes in the workplace. My rule of thumb is to be the kind of co-worker I would want to work with. Everyone gets stressed at times, and if you’ve made an effort to build good relationships with your co-workers there’s an even better chance they’ll jump in to help when you need it.
What teamwork tips do you have? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
