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Managing Relationships Up, Down, and Sideways
June 16, 2021 Communication Leadership Management
Work relationships aren’t only about being nice — they’re about being promotable.

When we surveyed 300 creative leaders about creative careers and skills, building relationships was the third most sought-for skill in potential promotion candidates. Building relationships isn’t only important for business growth — it’s important for your career growth.

In this episode of Real Creative Leadership, Adam Morgan shares five different types of relationships you should actively seek to develop — and how to form those all-important bonds to help you, and your business, grow.

Watch this episode to discover:

  • How to know you’ve formed a successful work relationship
  • Why it’s important to have an open relationship with your boss
  • Six ways to make your work partnerships stick
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mentioned in this show:
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Adam Morgan
Creative Leader and RCL Host
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The Stoke Group
Digital Marketing and Full-Service Content Agency
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Transcript

Adam Morgan:

Hello, welcome to Real Creative Leadership. I’m excited to chat to you today about relationships. And you may say, “Oh, Adam, it’s obvious. Of course, we have to have relationships with other people.” But I’m not just talking about just having a relationship where you know them, or you’re in a meeting with them, or you’re around them. We’re going to talk about things a little deeper, about building relationships. It’s almost like building partnerships. So if you haven’t watched the episode, we just had a great session with John Johnson from Qualtrics, and he talked about how relationships matter in his job, and how they’ve helped him grow his career. So that’s a good personal example. But today I want to dig into, more the nuts and bolts of how we build relationships, who we build relationships with, and why we need to build those relationships.

Adam Morgan:

And here’s the first thing that I needed to start out with in the beginning, which is… I know this may seem very obvious, but another really obvious thing is that creative people, the way that we’ve built our careers, whether you’re a designer, or a writer or whatever, it’s all about going back into that creative cave and working on the craft. That’s where we’ve gotten to where we are now. So we’re very, very comfortable shutting off and going back into the cave. And for some of us, it’s really, really hard to come out of that cave, and really work on building those relationships rather than just thinking, “The way that I’m productive, the way I do a better job is by focusing on the craft.” I’ve had this chat with so many people who are moving into the creative director role and it can be hard. It can be really hard for some people, because they’re just so used to just doing their own thing.

Adam Morgan:

And you just don’t naturally think about it, but this is something you have to do. You have to be able to build relationships, talk with other people, move out of your shell and really create those bonds. Those partnerships that help you get ideas sold, help you get creative ideas moving along, all of that. So another thing, it’s all about trust. It’s not just knowing someone, again, or being in a meeting, but they have to trust you. And they have to trust you that you’re going to help them, and you’re going to bring the creative goods to the table. Just know this is hard. So we’re going to dig into it. We’re going to talk about who, and the what, and the why, and all of that good stuff.

Adam Morgan:

Now, one good litmus test that I’ve had over the years, at least for me, that helps me know how do I know that someone has a relationship with me, or that they trust me, or that they want me there. It’s that I don’t have to actually ask to be included in critical meetings. If you’re automatically added to meetings that are really, really important. That’s a really good sign they trust you and they need your creativity. They need your strategy, your vision, whatever it may be. So keep that as a good litmus test. If you don’t have to ask to be invited to meetings, that’s a really good thing. So why is this super important? One, I was listening recently to a… It was a webinar that Northwestern University was having. They brought in a bunch of people who had made it up to the C-suite, and they were giving advice back to all of us of how do you get there, and what do you do.

Adam Morgan:

And the interesting thing that they talked about is that so many of us just come with our disciplines, our backgrounds that we come from, whether that’s finance or creative. And it’s always about that. But what they said is, “No, you have to understand first that business is all about people, and the rest is just extra.” So the first thing you need to do when you’re growing in your career, you’re becoming a leader, is you really have to understand people. You really have to relate to people, and then you can bring in all of that discipline around it. Another interesting thing, so we did a research project with Real Creative Leadership this last fall. And we interviewed 300 plus creative leaders from around the country. And we asked them a series of questions around creative careers, and how important different things are.

Adam Morgan:

So one big question we asked is, what are the skills that block career growth. Meaning what are the skills that people don’t have that prevent them from moving up to the next level. And the top two answers were the ability to sell, and the ability to build relationships. And I think that was really, really fascinating. So it’s not just… It wasn’t how great are you at the craft, or how good are you at this or that. It was, can they build relationships? And then when we asked another question, which was, when you’re looking at someone and you’re going to give them a promotion, what are the most important skills that these people have that qualify them for a promotion. And building relationships was number three, the most important, right after strategic thinking and ability to manage. So clearly building relationships are important, and they’re beyond important in so many different ways.

Adam Morgan:

So, again, as I go through all this… Because I could ask anyone, I’m like, “Oh, do you build relationships with people?” And they’re like, “Oh, yeah. Yeah, I do.” But you really got to think deeply. You have to be proactively out there, hustling to try and get those relationships, making sure they’re solid and they trust you, that you’re partnering, that you’re all together on things. And that’s where you’re going to… With your peers, and those people you have relationships with, that’s where you’re going to grow your career. So you have to move beyond your skills, and move out of that creative cave. And start thinking more of the team, and of other people, and of the business. So relationships is foundational to all of those things.

Adam Morgan:

All right, let’s dig in. Who do we need to make relationships with? There are a lot of people, and I’m going to just going to go through a list of different groups of people that you probably need to focus on and build relationships with. And as I go through this list, just think about, where maybe is there a gap. Or if I bring up a topic, try and isolate a certain person in that category that you can go work on, and improve your partnership with. All right. So the first one. Let’s start at the bottom and we’ll move up. Your team, building relationships with your creative team. This one is easy and natural. And I think most all of us have this. And they’re our peers. They’re the people we work with, or they’re the people you manage specifically.

Adam Morgan:

And why I say that’s easy and natural, I have heard of some stories where like, there was this one manager who he’s talking… He managed a team of developers, and he and one of the people on his team were in a fight a year and a half earlier. And they still weren’t talking to each other, which I thought was mind blowing. How can you be on a team, or even have a manager that you don’t talk to for years. So clearly it happens, but most of us have this one down. No problem. And the one caveat I would say on this one, that’s interesting is that it’s the idea of you never know who will be your boss.

Adam Morgan:

For example, when I started out in advertising back in the mid nineties, there were two people. One was one of my first creative directors at my first agency. And another was a guy who worked in the industry, and he owned an agency, and I went and interviewed for my second job. And I really, really wanted to work at his agency, and I didn’t get the job. But anyhow, I knew these two people as just these pillars in the industry. And sure enough, fast forward, 20 years later, the agency I was working at bought that one guy’s agency. And I ended up becoming his boss. Same thing, my first creative director, I ended up becoming his boss later on too. So it’s a cyclical thing. And I know I need to prepare myself that the intern right now, that I’m working with could potentially be my boss someday. So be nice to everyone, build good relationships, don’t burn any bridges, just keep everything kosher with your team.

Adam Morgan:

All right, the next level, who do you have a relationship with, is your boss. And I think that’s also an easy answer, but I think that the thing about having a relationship with the boss, again, a real relationship is not just one where you check in, and you report in on the work or the numbers or whatever it may be. This is someone you have an open relationship with. If you haven’t read the book, Radical Candor, go read it today. And then give a copy to your boss if they haven’t read it. I know with my current boss, he is awesome. And we have very deep, open relationship conversations about career, and work and everything. And it is so amazing. And it’s so awesome. So thank you, Steve. I appreciate it. But having that radical candor is critical. So make sure you have a good relationship with your boss.

Adam Morgan:

The next one. This is managing up, other executives and clients. Yes. You have to manage up. I know it sounds like selling out, and it’s the worst. But it is critical to getting your creative vision sold, work sold, building an environment, getting good budget growth for you, your team. So it’s really, really critical. And I know those relationships with execs aren’t always the same as with your team or your boss, but you still have to build them, and manage them actively. And think through exactly knowing what their needs are, and what they’re after, and how you can help them.

Adam Morgan:

Because to be honest, this is a rule that I learned early in my career. You have to make your boss, or your boss’s boss, or executives, or your client look good. That is your job. Make them look good. Make them look successful. And that’s a good indication of how you are connected and helping them grow. But I think moving beyond that, it’s not just making them look good. It’s also having that trust, having them invite you to meetings, trust you. When a problem comes up, they’re like, “We need so-and-so to come help with this.” So building those relationships, and making sure you’re on their radar is really, really critical. I’ll tell you one way I did this, just an interesting way of doing this, is it doesn’t always have to be around the work. You may think, “Ah. Executives, I don’t have access to them at all.”

Adam Morgan:

Because I’m either way low on the totem pole, or whatever it may be. So early on in one agency, I purposely joined the party planning committee, or ran the party planning committee, which was extra work. It was beyond my scope, and I didn’t do it because I had a love of parties. It’s because strategically, I knew I needed more access and exposure to some execs at the agency. And by being on that party planning committee, I was able to talk with the CFO constantly, the head of HR, and the president of the company, because we had to get plans and things approved and through. So having creative ideas around agency parties was really critical for me to have more exposure with those executives. So it’s just a matter of building relationships, however you need to do that.

Adam Morgan:

All right, the next big category, and this is probably the most important one. This is the one that gets the most overlooked, and the people don’t even think about it, but it’s your peers. And when I say peers, I’m not saying peers on your team, but let’s say you’re the creative leader at a company. Your peers are going to be the marketing director, or it’s going to be the comms person, or PR person, or it’s going to be the events person, whatever it may be, it’s the people who are at your same level but in different disciplines, in different departments. And why is this so important? This is often the one that you think about selling up and that’s easy. “Oh, we’ll get up to the boss.” Or your team.

Adam Morgan:

And so many creative leaders that I know, just focus on those two areas. And then those peers just like, “Nah, whatever. They’re just the creative person, but whatever.” They don’t have any respect for them. They don’t care about them. They don’t have that trust. And then later they’re going to try and go around them to try and find them creative solutions in another way, or they’ll complain about speed, or they’ll complain about quality. So it’s really, really important to actively build relationships with anyone who influences your work, all of the peers across your organization. And here’s the crazy thing. When it comes down to career growth, surprisingly, they will be, probably one of the larger voices of showing that you deserve the next step up. Like when they ask around… Your boss may have a relationship, they’ll ask one of your peers, and they’ll be like, “Nah.” Either they’re thumbs up or thumbs down.

Adam Morgan:

So make sure that they are… You have a good relationship with, because they can become your greatest champions, and they will become your partners, your thought partners, your idea partners, they’re going to be the ones that are going to help build campaigns, and strategies, and move things along. And they also could be your biggest critics. So make sure you have those good relationships, so that you’re not getting submarined from the side. And also in my mind, I think a good thing indication of a well-rounded leader is someone who has those sideways reaching relationships. Because it’s easy to sell up, or maybe some people are really good at selling up, and they’re jerks down, but it’s even harder from a distance sideways peer to see… For them to give energy. So if you’re good at managing relationships with peers, that is just the critical element in growing your career, and building great work, and building the right environment. All of those things, everything hinges on that.

Adam Morgan:

So if you take one thing away, go focus on sideways peers. Those are the people you need to really work with. And then finally, one last category that’s also often overlooked is the industry. And I’m not just talking about giving back, but really it’s helping build a greater need for creativity, because more companies need creative leaders. So building up those relationships, because you’re not… There may be other creative leaders in the industry, that may not be giving you a job, or helping you with your work, or any of that stuff. But they are building this community that will help us all grow creativity, so that more and more companies as you’ve jumped around, you don’t have to start over every time, because someone else has done the legwork at that company to give creative leadership a seat at the table.

Adam Morgan:

So it just overall… All boats rise together. And so most of us don’t stay at one spot. We all move around, but just know building relationships with the industry is important. It’s not a wasted effort. And then finally, I guess you could say you could build relationships with everyone. You can be purposeful. There may be other influencers out there that aren’t in your company, or maybe they are a distant person in your company that is really someone who’s going to make a big difference on your work. But I would just say, keep your mind open and always look. Just like my party planning story. There are always opportunities to grow relationships and build relationships, but it starts with understanding that it’s got to be a proactive effort. It can’t just be a passive effort where you just hang out and say things to people. So those are the people you need to work with.

Adam Morgan:

This last section now, I’m going to talk about how you do it, how you build these relationships. So it’s enough to talk about, you need to build relationships with all these people, but how do you do that? That’s often the next question people would have. So I’m just going to go through a list of things that you need to do in order to make sure that those relationships are solid. Number one, first you have to deliver the goods. You have to deliver great design, great writing, great video. World-class craft. And you have to build that trust that you know your craft, and you’re good at it. So before you can just go out and be buddies, that’s not what I’m saying. It’s not about being buddies. What I’m saying, building relationships, they are strategic relationships.

Adam Morgan:

And people aren’t going to be open to that relationship unless they see value. So you, of course, again, like I said at the beginning, go back to that cave or help your team, whatever it is that you can deliver on good creative. That’s what you’re there for. You’re there for the creative ideas, the creative campaign. So deliver some good creative. Next step. Once you do that, you need to understand their needs, goals and plans. If you just keep coming into meetings and pushing your agenda… Let’s say you love video. And you’re like, “We always just got to do video, video, video.” And you’re not really listening to them. Then you’re in trouble because think about their KPIs, their plans, how they measure success, what is the broader marketing group doing?

Adam Morgan:

And maybe video is one part of it, but they need so many other things. Maybe they’re a heavy demand gen machine. And they just need a ton of demand kits, and emails, and banner ads and other things. And you’re just ignoring those because you’re so focused on the creative. So you need… Sorry, the creative videos. You need to understand their plans. You need to establish how you can help them establish roles, what your role is and what their role is. You don’t have to just be a whipping boy, but you do need to understand that what they’re trying to get at, and then partner with them. You need to understand them, and partner with them. So that you’re helping hit those KPIs. So that they can see, “Okay, this creative leader understands measurement, and strategy and all of those things. And they’re going to help me with this.” So first deliver creative, then understand their plans and goals, and work on helping with all of that.

Adam Morgan:

Next thing, is you need to have a creative strategy. So it’s one thing to understand all your partners, marketers plans, and help with understanding that so that you’re building the whole company, really. But at some point you also need to know how creativity is going to impact things around you. So it’s basically having a vision, having a creative strategy, how are you going to… What are you going to build, and how are you going to build it? And how are you going to execute on all of these KPIs and plans? So that creativity actually is helping. So once you understand what everyone else needs around you, then you need to look for those gaps. You need to say, “Okay, here’s where I’m seeing that there are problems or missing things.” Find those gaps, and then fill those in with creative strategy.

Adam Morgan:

For example, you may need a better design system, or a more detailed guide on the brand voice, or a new style of video or different types of content. Maybe you’re making all the wrong types of content. But go out and think about all of that stuff, and then make your own personal plan. So see what the marketing plan is, what your partner’s plans are, and then make a vision and a creative plan that matches with that. Then share it with them, share up, manage up, down, sideways with whoever those partners are. Having them see that you have a creative strategy and a plan to help them. That goes a long way for building relationships.

Adam Morgan:

The next step is you have to build the machine. Once you have the plans, once you have the vision, once you have the creative strategy, now you have to constantly deliver on that strategy. And this takes prioritizing things, keeping the lights on. Maybe you’ve got to do enough of the keep the lights on work, and then balance that with your resources in order to do, maybe 80, 20. So you’re 20% on this big idea, something totally new you’ve never done before. Really building the machine is just like having a big puzzle that you have to figure out. It’s how do you make something smooth, and easy and and just humming along. While other things, it’s like you’re tinkering, and you’re trying new ideas, and you’re creating space so that ideas can grow and your department can flourish. So building the machine is a huge part of it, but it doesn’t come first. Don’t build the machine with all of your rules and regulations, if you don’t have a creative strategy, you don’t have the relationships. If you don’t have all of that in place.

Adam Morgan:

Once that machine is built, next step I would say is having one-on-ones with key partners. And this is critical. It’s not just enough to toss over the fence, “Here’s my vision.” “Here’s your vision. Great. We all align.” But you have to nurture those relationships. You have to make it a real partnership. So having one-on-ones just regularly is, in my mind, really important. I know some people like to just have meetings together, maybe you can accomplish that. If it’s a small group meeting that you can at least have an open dialogue. But you need to have a moment where you can share ideas, build ideas, coordinate, make it feel like it’s a real partnership, make it feel like giving and taking. It’s just almost like the way we put writers and designers together to create that cool relationship between those two. Because they bounce ideas back and forth, and they work together on the craft and create better things.

Adam Morgan:

It’s that same principle, but maybe it’s a creative director and a marketing director. You’ve just got to be together, and working often and having moments where you can just not be onstage presenting, but just be able to talk and rationalize, and talk it out. So I think that’s super, super important. So have those critical meetings. And then finally, the last thing I would say on building relationships, and this probably goes without saying, but it’s be a nice person. The fastest way to end relationships is to be a jerk. Life is just too short. So don’t step on others to get ahead. Don’t step on their toes. Establish rules and regulations, and roles and all that kind of stuff. But instead just go together. It’s not a zero sum game. You can make great relationships with people, and you can both win. And it’s awesome. And it’s better.

Adam Morgan:

And relationships oftentimes aren’t about what’s in it for you. Don’t be so calculating and Machiavellian that you’re out there building relationships only if it benefits you. Sometimes it’s for someone else, and be okay with that. I know this whole session has been about calculating and planning, but it’s also the longterm picture. Good relationships help everyone, you included. All right. Well, those are my thoughts on building relationships. I think there’s much more nuance, but at least it’s a good primer to get started. And at least it gets you thinking. So here’s the 72 hour ask. I want you to identify one person you can partner with at any level, any of those types of people. And I want you to write down a plan of how you’re going to learn, and then share, and continue to share and work with them, to build on those ideas and that partnership. Because remember, you will never succeed doing this solo.

Adam Morgan:

Even if you’re a solopreneur, you still need the clients. You need the network, you need the talent. You need all of those things. Relationships are critical. All right, well thank you for listening. And, again, go back and watch the John Johnson episode on building relationships. He had some really cool stories of how some key relationships actually, totally changed his world and changed his career. Other episodes, we’ve got a new one coming up here, the three secrets… Or sorry. The three lies that leader leaders tell us. We’d love you to listen in on that session. And then also we have another one coming up about how do you move beyond executive creative director. What are the possibilities for those of us as a CD, what do we look forward to.

Adam Morgan:

Again, thanks for listening. You can always find us at realcreativeleadership.com. You can find us at YouTube, our YouTube channel, or on your favorite podcast platform. Thank you so much for listening. Give us thumbs up, share it with your friends, whatever you need to do. We’d love to get this content out there, and continue to grow this community. So thank you so much for listening.