It is hard to let go. Internally, refocus on being her partner, spend more time developing relationships w your creative team so they know and trust you (that will pay off later), spend more time with your strategists (brand, digital, media, etc) to learn more about your brand, industry, overall market. Externally, focus on connecting with and cultivating your client relationships. That is your main purpose (in my opinion) Get more involved in internal activities or events and the “fun” stuff we account folks tend to leave off the to-do list! Your job is to service the account - let her worry about who and how and when
I wanted to post something brilliant, as I did that too when I went from an agency of 15 to VML, but AM1 above said most of what I would have. Use it as an opportunity to get past the tactical part of being an account person and focus on strategic; lots of people want to do that and can’t because they’re stuck doing PM work so turn it around and see it as a blessing!
Think of this as a blessing. You are now free to shift into more of a strategic business partner role for your clients and make more of an impact on the direction of your team’s work. It’s so freeing when you are no longer primarily responsible for making sure all the trains and planes are in the right places, spaces, and times. You are now able to take a deeper interest in your clients’ businesses, find out what keeps them up at night, learn about what kinds of services your agency can provide to them, and just become an expert problem-solver for everyone.
I would also stay in constant communication with her and make sure she doesn’t feel like your trying to take over if you accidentally do her job. I think that was the biggest part for me when I would schedule internal reviews or kick offs and my PM thought i was trying to bypass her. It was just a force of habit!
Also, more than likely the account is set up that way so you will be able to handle more jobs and focus more on the actual jobs and less on the project management aspect of it. I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum. As long as the project manager has the bandwidth to do her job right and in a timely fashion it works out much better for you as an account person. Just lean on her as much as you can
@AM 1 + everyone else: thanks for the advice. In my last job, I definitely felt I was always in the weeds vs. having a bigger presence strategically. So I appreciate the positive spin. I definitely want to help my PM when I can but also respect her space. It’s a balancing act I’ll have to get used to. (:
It is hard to let go. Internally, refocus on being her partner, spend more time developing relationships w your creative team so they know and trust you (that will pay off later), spend more time with your strategists (brand, digital, media, etc) to learn more about your brand, industry, overall market. Externally, focus on connecting with and cultivating your client relationships. That is your main purpose (in my opinion) Get more involved in internal activities or events and the “fun” stuff we account folks tend to leave off the to-do list! Your job is to service the account - let her worry about who and how and when
I wanted to post something brilliant, as I did that too when I went from an agency of 15 to VML, but AM1 above said most of what I would have. Use it as an opportunity to get past the tactical part of being an account person and focus on strategic; lots of people want to do that and can’t because they’re stuck doing PM work so turn it around and see it as a blessing!
Think of this as a blessing. You are now free to shift into more of a strategic business partner role for your clients and make more of an impact on the direction of your team’s work. It’s so freeing when you are no longer primarily responsible for making sure all the trains and planes are in the right places, spaces, and times. You are now able to take a deeper interest in your clients’ businesses, find out what keeps them up at night, learn about what kinds of services your agency can provide to them, and just become an expert problem-solver for everyone.
I would also stay in constant communication with her and make sure she doesn’t feel like your trying to take over if you accidentally do her job. I think that was the biggest part for me when I would schedule internal reviews or kick offs and my PM thought i was trying to bypass her. It was just a force of habit!
Also, more than likely the account is set up that way so you will be able to handle more jobs and focus more on the actual jobs and less on the project management aspect of it. I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum. As long as the project manager has the bandwidth to do her job right and in a timely fashion it works out much better for you as an account person. Just lean on her as much as you can
@AM 1 + everyone else: thanks for the advice. In my last job, I definitely felt I was always in the weeds vs. having a bigger presence strategically. So I appreciate the positive spin. I definitely want to help my PM when I can but also respect her space. It’s a balancing act I’ll have to get used to. (: