Every company has a set of core values shared by its team members. Think Leadership, Diversity, Innovation, and the like. At KWSM, we work and live by a set of seven values – but don’t worry; I won’t run through them all in one go. Rather, I’ll be honing in on my personal favorite: communicativeness, an art that serves us both in and out of the workplace.
Agency-wide, our team members practice communicativeness in a number of ways – from being open with our supervisors about career goals and workloads to knowing how to confidently explain our work to clients. Find out what communicativeness means to us at KWSM.
Communicative: A KWSM Core Value
At KWSM, communication isn’t just a tool to employ – it’s the foundation of a cohesive team and exceptional client service. Here’s how we define communicativeness in our offices:
“Strong communication is the foundation for effective teamwork and exceptional client service. We practice radical candor, speaking honestly but with empathy and respect. We keep our clients updated and never back down from a conversation about performance. We share feedback and ideas freely, and we recognize that everyone on the team deserves to be heard.”
Copywriters and digital marketers at KWSM need polished communication on two fronts: internally and externally. Internally, we’re encouraged to share ideas without hesitation and practice “radical candor” – the art of challenging directly, without offending. This is key to discussions about performance that are typically difficult, but without radical candor, we wouldn’t know how to improve.
The same goes for our clients. No matter the news, good or bad, we’re obligated to keep them updated, mention when performance is dropping, and plan out alternative strategies. Through empathetic, respectful radical candor and a welcoming of feedback, KWSM keeps its people comfortable and constantly willing to improve.
3 Fundamental Behaviors
Communicate Openly (In the Right Channels) About Workload & Career Goals
Our supervisors can’t help us grow if they don’t know our needs. This typically starts with our broader career goals and trickles down to our day-to-day workloads.
Communicating your career goals gives your supervisor the chance to build the skills you want rather than falling into duties that aren’t in your wheelhouse. When I started as a junior copywriter, I told KWSM exactly what skills I wanted to polish: adapting voice and tone, SEO knowledge, and web copy expertise. When your company works with you on the skills you want, it makes a world of difference – but it can’t happen if I don’t communicate those desires.
This is clear in day-to-day workloads as well. When I’m swamped with tasks and get a big project on my plate, rather than stressing, I’ll ask my supervisor – Taylor Lizura, Director of Accounts – to help delegate smaller tasks to free up some bandwidth. It’s important to do so in the right channels though. Calling my president Katie Wagner in panic mode likely isn’t the right channel, for example, versus my direct supervisor, Taylor..
Exhibit Clear Communication (Written & Verbal) Both Internally & Externally
Clarity and conciseness are crucial to our communicative practices at KWSM. Internally, using Slack rather than email boosts our efficiency and helps us get on the same page about projects much faster. And externally, we aim to cut through the noise with our clients and provide clear, concise feedback rather than confusing them with numbers and industry jargon.
Become Adept at Explaining Our Work & Client Goals to the Team
Our clients would have a hard time trusting us if we couldn’t explain what we do, how we do it, and what benefit it serves them. From onboarding to execution, properly communicating our expertise and our clients’ growth over time is crucial to gaining and maintaining that client trust.
This also applies to how our digital marketing specialists/strategists (DMS) relay client goals to the rest of the team. Our DMSs are keen and attentive, ensuring that no point of the client’s message is lost so that we can deliver the cleanest work possible. Goals inform strategies, so we prioritize communication from the get-go for peak client assurance.
Join the KWSM team!
We’re constantly hiring dynamic individuals with a passion for digital marketing. Check out KWSM’s opportunities and discover what sets us apart from the rest.
Click Here to learn more about KWSM careers.
