I have served in a Project Manager or Account Manager role at a Creative Agency for my entire (17 year!) career. And although I do love a good timeline, Project Managers often get a bad rap for doing little more than making timelines, scheduling meetings, and implementing a “process for the sake of process.”
I had a contact who transitioned to a Project Manager role at her company ask me “How do you do it without feeling like you are just bothering people all the time? I hate this.” And I was so glad she asked, and I am so glad you’re here now! Gather ‘round while I share how Project Managers provide value to creative agency processes everywhere.
Nuts and Bolts
Okay, yes. We are on point for creating project timelines and scheduling meetings. And as mundane as they seem, they’re key elements to successful projects.
Timelines
Timelines are important for creative agencies because they keep projects on track, align team efforts, manage client expectations, and ensure work is delivered on time—without sacrificing quality or burning out the team.
Meeting Scheduling
Seems simple enough, but coordinating across multiple different companies, teams, calendars and time zones can take some time to make everyone happy. Project Managers also ensure the right people connect at the right time to align on ideas, make key decisions, and keep projects moving—without unnecessary delays or confusion.
The Keepers of Communication
Project Managers reduce interruptions to creative and development teams by consolidating feedback from various stakeholders as needed and following up on any uncertainties or contradictions before sharing with the team. We strategically decide when and how client feedback is shared with internal teams to ensure its constructive and timely – prioritizing in a way that makes the most sense for the client, agency and our teams. We keep clients in the loop with professional and timely updates. We serve as the main point of contact for all, getting the right message to the right people at the right time.
The Soft Skills That Matter
Building and maintaining strong relationships with your team and client are key to a Project Managers success. Its more of an art than a science to know when to follow up and when its best to give someone more time – whether it’s a copywriter, client, etc. Making those judgement calls requires a deep understanding of the project, process, and people you work with.
Empathy and Emotional Intelligence helps you work through challenging situations without adding fuel to the fire and making circumstances worse with blame and criticism. Being able to “read the room” can steer your course of action into a more successful outcome for everyone.
Actions speak louder than words – and when a PM is a fully integrated member of a creative team and client relationship, their value is demonstrated throughout the life of the project. As a PM, how do you know if you’re providing true value or simply a paper pusher, implementing a process for the sake of process? Go on vacation! And if your creative and development teams are relieved to have you back, you know you’re getting the job done right 😉
