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...asking for deadlines, I want to know what to make for when, and all they tell me is the final live date. And they think that’s okay! When I ask for something more granular, they get offended like I think they can’t do their job. Then the timeline shifts and I have to play catch up and I get in trouble for not working fast enough. I refuse to constantly take my work home to make up for this lack of scheduling. Can’t believe a place like this exists and seriously considering quitting, but the money is really good. Thoughts?
No PMs! That would certainly help. It’s all accounts - and I think most of them are new to the job despite some being exec level. Like it’s blowing my mind that this place is operating this way. They just developed a brief template like 6 months ago and accts still aren’t used to asking clients for briefs. Wtf?!
If there’s no PM and it’s just junior account people responsible for this process, then I am guessing they are getting mad at you because they are also frustrated. They don’t know what they don’t know, and the lack of oversight is probably difficult for them as well.
Do other creatives feel the same way as you (I’m guessing yes). You should try to have a meeting with your CD and constructively ask that this process that is put in place. Volunteer to spearhead making a WBS template with an acct person as a partner. They probably need the help/insight, as it’s clearly never been accurately explained to them.
Agree with SAE 1.
Also, not for nothing, I have worked at places where creative team members have grown so entitled by the hand-holding and scheduling management they get from PMs that they behave like babies who can’t get to a meeting on their own or remember what day it is. This culture is infuriating for anyone not in the creative department (eg strategists and media folks are required to manage their own work schedule they roll their eyes at the helpless creatives, and account/PMs get burnt out being treated essentially as babysitters for fully functioning adults).
I’m not saying you are one of these creatives, just that frustration can come from years of seeing agencies work that way, and that perhaps some account people saw escaping to a small agency as a way to be rid of that culture.
If you like the people and the place, next time you get a deadline, say, hey - based on this deadline, and the way I specifically like to work, it seems like reviews could happen at x and x date. Do you agree? Cool, ‘let’s try to work together to have these types of dates laid out on the calendar for all the work so everyone knows what’s happening when.’ I think they’d love it, and it would give you an opportunity to have a say in, rather than be handed, a schedule.
This is really bad. If I was you and the way you are talking about the money, I'd just wait for them to kick me out. Save all the moolah you can though.
^agree. While you shouldn’t have to do this, your account partners clearly need some guidance, so if you help develop a template you’ll be in the good graces on the big dogs when they see you’re helping to drive efficiencies.
Try giving them a general creative development timeline with estimated timing for each round so they can start creating their own schedules. If you give them a work back yourself, they’ll rely on you for each distinct project moving forward. I suspect they don’t have access to anything outside on Excel for planning if they even use that. Do you have any kind of producer that can help supply basic production timing too? It’s one thing to plan out development. It’s another to account for production.
I’m bothered for you. An AE should be capable of basic project management. I’d be willing to be that’s even in their job description.
The way you describe this doesn’t sound like hand holding to me. It’s not hard to build a basic schedule and then put all the meetings on calendars the day of a brief. This person sounds incompetent.
Bring it up with your PM and CD. I've had a similar experience at small shops since there's often less work to schedule around and everyone is in arms reach. But learning to how to schedule is in everyone's best interests.
Do you have a PM? They should be giving you deadlines to work toward for each task. If you don’t, whoever is creating the timelines need to either share it with you or keep you informed.
I was in the same boat. If you keep speaking up they will prob lay you off and you could get u employment.. kits a plus to the negative.
@AD2 Honestly that plan is kind of appealing... already applying to other jobs anyway.
Learn to PM your work, and learn to negotiate time/money/man hours vs process hours to do whatever. you have to show them numbers unfortunately and speak in their language.
E.g. client ask for a change, say yes, and this is the cost in time/money/etc... Sometimes the cost is too high and they will back down. Or in your case the account team will figure out they cant do X, or might solve the problem to hire extra people for a given project.
If you hit the "we want it fast/cheap/perfect" set though, run the fuck out the door. You will never win.
Yeah i think you didn't have proper expectations either when you signed up for a job at a startup which is usually chaotic and all hands on deck without clear delineation of responsibilities but you've gotten some good advice above. You can either be a star and SME over there or go back to established shops.