Some years ago, way before I started in email marketing, I worked in another discipline, and discipline was the word. There were sanctions if you did anything proscribed, and there were lots of things proscribed. When new in the role, you can imagine how I felt when, during my first important job, I made a mistake, one so glaring that even I, a newcomer, realised it was just short of a disaster. I prostrated myself in front of the person in charge.

The expected telling off didn’t happen. Most remarkably, the chap took me to a café and bought me a cup of coffee, even bringing it to the table and setting it in front of where I sat with my head down. I had no excuses, so just apologised. 

He asked, ‘Did you do your best?’

I replied, ‘Yes, but it wasn’t good enough.’

He said, ‘I ask two things of people who work with me: the first is to do your best, and the second, if it’s not good enough, get better.’

You can see why he became something of a hero of mine and I not only set out to improve my performance, but I used him as a role model. So should you.

If you submit yourself to management training, the subject of a no-blame culture will come up. It looks too good to be true but is a win-win situation because, if it’s done well, everyone benefits. It’s significantly more profitable to both sides. It has particular application to email marketing because, if we don’t experiment, trying new things during all our campaigns, we will fall behind, to be overtaken by those with better management skills. 

Let’s get all hypothetical. Claire, from IT support, floats an idea which initially seems poor but, as you are trying to encourage participation from your staff, you discuss it with her and then try it with a split test on a segmented list.

The good thing about this method is that it doesn’t matter whether it is successful or not. If it is, your job is easy. Praise Claire, thank her for her contribution, and mention it to others. If it isn’t such a good idea, praise Claire, thank her for her contribution, mentioning to others that you want contributions from everybody. That’s easy as well.

She is happy to receive praise and thanks, and will probably benefit from a discussion about why it was or was not of benefit. She and others will be encouraged to submit ideas. Have a box on the wall near the cooler, or ask for ideas at every Zoom meeting.

You are, no doubt, looking for an edge to ensure you are better than other email marketing companies, especially those who are performing a bit better than you. If you stick with the tried and tested methods of improvement you will probably perform as they do. In the post-Covid world, we’ll need every advantage.

Your employees should know they will not be criticised if their ideas don’t work. They might see you as a role model.