November 4, 2005

Forcing Decisions on Priorities and Weather Ballooning More Headcount

It all started three weeks ago when I realized that I was being stretched beyond my limits in my fledgling marketing department. My direct report, Jonathan, was being pushed too hard as well. We couldn’t sustain the pace or the priorities that we had to deliver.

Finally, in my 1-on-1 meeting with Tom, he asked if we could do X. I said, “Yes we can do X, but I’ll have to bump it up against Y and Z. We don’t have the bandwidth.” Tom sat back and realized that I looked like butter that was spread too thin across bread. Tom was open to Marketing’s needs for resources.

Analyzing My Department’s Resource Allocation and Limitations

I was able to carve out time over the past two days to do an in-depth analysis of my department’s resources available for the top priorities that we have for the next 100 days from November through January. I used my handy MacGyver tool or project management approach that I use to analysis my problem. I love working on these types of deliverables. My head was down. I was focused. Before I knew it, my analysis turned out to be 45-page report with five tabs in an impressive package/presentation. My objectives in my Marketing Department Workload Analysis were:

1. To identify marketing department functions and activities
2. To identify hours required to support marketing activities by function and marketing position
3. To identify resource allocation and loading issues for rolling, top marketing priorities per 100 days or quarter
4. To identify marketing staffing options if Tom’s company chooses to fully staff the marketing function to match total projected FTE (full-time equivalent job position) hours by function, activity, and position

The deliverables included in the analysis were:

1. Executive Summary
2. Responsibility Analysis
3. Roles and responsibilities for each marketing position
4. Work breakdown structure for marketing functions
5. Resource loading: Assigning Resources to Functions and Activities
6. Resource Loading Analysis
7. Marketing Department Workload Planning Sheets for Weekly Activities and Project-based Activities
8. Resource Loading by Position: Summary of Weekly & Project-based Activities with FTE hours by Work Breakdown Structure
9. Resource Loading for Top Marketing Priorities for Next 100 Days - Workload Planning Sheet
10. Resource Loading by Position if Marketing Department is Staff for all Functions
11. Q4 Marketing Action Plan for the next 100 Days
12. 100-Day Plan Results for First 100-Days

Marketing Department Workload Analysis Findings

After analyzing the Top Marketing Priorities with existing resources (two full-time equivalents myself and Jonathan), I found the following:

• Based on the Top 8 Marketing Priorities for the next 100 days, the marketing department is short by 1,210 hours.
• The total available hours for the next quarter for 2 existing FTES (Director of Marketing and Marketing Manager) are 1,600 hours.
• The resources required to complete the projected work is 2,810.
• The marketing department would need two 1.9 Loris and 3.1 Jonathans to complete these priorities.

Running the scenario for adding FTEs in Marketing to complete the Top 8 Marketing Priorities, two additional positions were identified: A Marcom Writer and a Data Entry Position to Top 8 Marketing Priority activities.

• The available hours for the next quarter for 4 FTES (Director of Marketing and Marketing Manager) are 1,600 hours.
• The marketing department would still require 1.5 Loris, 1.8 Jonathans, .8 Marcom Writer, and 1.5 Data Entry position to complete these priorities.

If the Marketing Department was fully staffed, this scenario yielded the following projections, and then the marketing department would need the following resources in the following positions:

• 2.4 FTEs for Marketing Managers
• 1.0 FTE for Marcom Writer
• 2.2 FTEs for Data Entry positions
• Issue: The Director of Marketing continues to be potentially over allocated by .7 FTEs

Recommendations

The Marketing Department Workload Analysis identifies serious resource issues in headcount. On a quarterly basis, the number of marketing priorities is limited due to the total available hours of only 1,600 for 2 FTEs. I recommended:

• There’s an opportunity to staff the Marketing department with a minimum staff, covering all skills sets required for a properly functioning department.
• 2 FTEs should be added to alleviate workload from Director of Marketing and Marketing Manager. These two positions are: Marcom Writer and a low-level Data Entry position.

Currently, Jonathan and I in our existing roles are being utilized to our highest levels, since we currently have to perform the functions of a Marcom Writer and data entry position. In the near term for the next 100 days, the Top Priorities listed will have to be reduced from its existing level to accommodate the resource constraints in the department.

Next Steps: Management Team Meeting, then 1-on-1 Meeting with Tom

I’ll hand out my report during my portion of the Management Team meeting. I have a few slides, but will ask only that the team reviews my analysis and recommendations so we can review in a follow-up meeting (if necessary).

I’ll also meet with Tom to review the details so he understands that I’ll have to reduce the Top Priorities for the next 100 days. I loved doing this work. It took me only a day and a half to complete it, since I’ve used this methodology so many times in creating departments, new businesses, and new revenue streams. I’ll be curious to see what the reaction will be to my analysis and my recommendations.

The Smart Lemming Diary is a series that chronicles a journey of laid-off worker, who becomes a Vice President of Sales Operations & Marketing for a small entrepreneurial healthcare technology company. For previous entries in this series, click here.  For the first diary entry, click here.

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