About the Episode

Today’s topic is something I’m certainly passionate about, and which I recently wrote two books in my Agile Brand Guides series about, and my guest today has been very active in the community.

Today we’re going to talk about Agile Marketing, and a recent report: The 6th annual State of Agile Marketing Report, by AgileSherpas and The Agile Marketing Alliance. There are a number of insights that should be interesting to all marketers and leaders.

To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Melissa Reeve, Principal Consultant at Agile Minds and Co-Founder of the Agile Marketing Alliance.

About Melissa Reeve

Currently the Co-Founder of the Agile Marketing Alliance, SAFe contributor and Agile marketing thought leader, Melissa has over 25 years of experience as an executive and consultant in the high tech, education and Agile spaces. She created the Agile Marketing with SAFe course, founded the SAFe Business Agility podcast, and helped lead the latest evolution of the Agile Marketing Manifesto. An active speaker and thought leader in the Agile marketing space, Melissa lives in Boulder, Colorado, USA with her husband, chickens and dogs, where she enjoys hiking and gardening.

Resources

State of Agile Marketing 2023 report: https://www.agilesherpas.com/blog/state-agile-marketing-2023

Agile Marketing Alliance website: https://www.agilemarketingalliance.com

The Agile Brand podcast website: https://www.gregkihlstrom.com/theagilebrandpodcast

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Get the latest news and updates on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-agile-brand/

For consulting on marketing technology, customer experience, and more visit GK5A: https://www.gk5a.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems.Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

Synopsis

One valuable piece of advice for marketing leaders to enhance their agility is to learn from one another and witness agile practices in action. Melissa Reeve emphasizes that merely reading about agile methodologies is insufficient; marketing leaders should actively observe agile teams in operation. By directly observing how agile teams function, marketing leaders can gain a deeper understanding of the principles and practices of agility. This firsthand experience enables them to comprehend the benefits and outcomes of agile, which can then be applied to their own marketing teams. The guest underscores the significance of physically witnessing agile practices, as it provides a tangible and practical understanding of how to implement agility within their organizations.

During the episode, the topic of leaders' willingness to acknowledge their mistakes and be open to feedback and coaching is discussed. The host mentions that this can be a humbling experience for leaders who often perceive themselves as having all the answers. However, it is crucial for leaders to recognize that they will make mistakes and that part of leading by example is taking responsibility for those mistakes.

The guest shares that she has observed leaders overcoming this resistance by understanding the need for dedicated coaching for themselves. It is not solely about coaching their subordinates, but also recognizing that they can benefit from coaching as well. Having a trusted confidant and being receptive to feedback and internalizing it is essential for leaders to evolve and grow.

By demonstrating this willingness to learn and improve, leaders send a powerful message to the rest of the organization. It shows that they are open to feedback, willing to admit when they are wrong, and committed to personal growth. This fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the organization.

Overall, the episode emphasizes the importance of leaders being humble, open to feedback, and willing to admit their mistakes. It highlights the value of coaching and personal growth in leadership development.

The episode also mentions that there are several insights that should be of interest to all marketers and leaders, even if they are not currently using Agile. The guest, Melissa Reeve, notes that marketers are recognizing the need for a new way of working and that the current marketing operating model may be efficient but lacks responsiveness and flexibility to adapt to change. Marketers often find themselves constantly in a state of urgency, dropping everything to respond to changes, which is not sustainable. This suggests that even marketers who are not currently using Agile can still benefit from understanding the need for a more responsive and flexible approach to marketing. The episode also discusses the concept of incorporating responsiveness and a test-and-learn approach into the marketing system, which can be valuable for all marketers and leaders, regardless of their current use of Agile.