Design firm gets team in sync for marketing effort

It’s critical that my clients – especially the creative people I work with – are deeply involved with their own professional development, both strategically and tactically.  Just telling them what they should do doesn’t work. Without full understanding of why to take a particular course of action – and without having worked through the possibilities and come to the conclusion themselves – they will not follow through.

So the way I work has developed over time, moving from traditional consulting methods to incorporate the tools and techniques of coaching and workshops:  I help my clients to arrive at their own conclusions.   I create the framework, bringing my experience and suggestions to the table so that ultimately my clients are enabled to address their own challenges and discover their own opportunities.

The effect is magnified when I work with a team as it's reinforced and multiplied by their collaboration over time.  A most valuable added benefit for teams is that they learn anew how to work with each other.  A Workshop takes them out of their regular day-to day roles and they step back and revisit the larger picture. 

I recently led a Marketing Workshop with the core team of a design firm and here is what the owner told me afterwards:

“The work we did together was certainly helpful, for me to have an outside perspective, but perhaps the most important thing being that we all thought as a team and came to an understanding of what it means to work at (the company) and what we stand for.”

These words made my heart glad.  After all, how effective can your marketing be if it does not spring from these fundamental understandings.  This is exactly the sort of result that a Workshop can provide.

Career Evolution Workshop - reactions

Comments from participants after the Career in Transition Workshop given by Michael Pollock at MediaBistro. His next Workshop at MediaBistro is scheduled for October 19th.

"I've been looking for a career coach who has an expertise in media, and Michael is definitely it. He has terrific knowledge and offers so much information during this 4 hour session, I feel like I got as much out of it as several hours of private coaching... at considerably less expense."

"Michael was just great. He had good information, kept the evening moving forward, and was terrific and getting us all to a place where we could communicate comfortably with one another. I really enjoyed the content, and felt that I learned a lot. More than I expected."

"Michael Pollock, was a perfect match for tackling the subject of "Careers in Transition" for creative professionals . His techniques for engaging the group were stimulating and effective. The supportiveness of the participants made this workshop a pleasure."

"(Pollock) had good insights and information"

"... the information was great--and the way it was presented made you view things differently--things you thought you already knew...like how to present yourself.... wish it had been longer--everyone wanted to talk!"

It's like starting over

Do you sometimes feel that you are starting again? For many people and businesses that really is what is happening.

In the past couple of weeks I have been asked to prepare workshops on career transition for creative professionals, I have been asked to be part of a resume workshop for creative job seekers, and I have been asked about helping to integrate "traditional" and "new generation" creatives following mergers of departments and companies.

This is the time to apply our creativity very firmly to our careers and businesses. We need to spot fresh connections, use our imaginations, exercise our curiosity, think laterally, harness our uncertainty and be open to opportunities we never dreamed of. Say no to nothing. Explore, research, network. There are no rules.

Be open. Be persistent. Be fearless.

Exec Producer recommends Workshop

Click the image to read the original - here is what the letter says:

March 12, 2009


Dear Michael,

Many thanks once again for the recent team building seminar you and April Jaffe led at our offices here at Schofield Films. Even after all these weeks, many of the mental exercises from that evening still resonate. I am consciously referring back to things I learned. For example, the way in which we began to frame a conversation in a more positive way has had a lasting effect on me. And I have tried to purge the word “but” from daily conversation and emails. I further find myself actually thinking about where I want a conversation to go and the words I want to use on the journey. In spite of myself, I actually felt stimulated by the evening’s activities. I recommend it for anyone with a brain or anyone who hopes to acquire one.


Regards,



Robert Berman
Executive Producer
Schofield Films

Get in touch and we can tailor a workshop for your team or company. Click here to learn more.

New Workshops Designed To Help Creative Companies Effectively Sell their Work

I am excited to announce our new TransformationSpark Workshops to help creative people to be more effective at communicating their ideas and to build stronger, more productive teams.

These unique Workshops are perfect for Ad people, Producers, Directors, Designers, Editors, Composers, Audio Engineers and Sales Reps: anyone who presents creative work or has to interact effectively with clients and team members.

Creative projects live or die based on how effectively you present yourself in meetings, conference calls and work sessions. Listening closely and communicating your ideas clearly and persuasively is critical to your success.

TransformationSpark Workshops are inspired by the techniques of improv. They are a carefully designed mix of games, exercises and guided discussions. Motivating, informative and entertaining: you'll see real and immediate results. You'll get new confidence, you'll learn to listen without interrupting and you'll communicate your ideas so much more effectively.

TransformationSpark is a joint venture with April Jaffe, CEO of Transformation and Executive Producer at music company Expansion Team. April is a smart and successful EP and consultant on new business development and marketing; she brings a deep understanding of the value of the improv techniques that are the basis of this program.

We have just given a Workshop for about a dozen staff and managers at a leading New York design firm, and they were most enthusiastic about it. Here is what they said:

We just put some of last night's techniques to use on a (client) call a little while ago, thanks for the workshop!

Fun, useful and helpful. I will totally recommend it.

Everything I learned is useful for me at work and outside work, I'll try to apply everything.

The discussion at the end about how to solve problems with conference calls was really helpful.

I'd recommend it. I think it was as much about team building and working better with your coworkers as it was about effective communication - and both are very important.

Let us hold a TransformationSpark Workshop for your team. Learn more about the Workshops at TransformationSpark.com