Agile Marketing Mantra: Be stubborn on vision but flexible on details

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This post is part of the Agile Marketing Mantras Series, a collection of favorite quotes about the importance of agility and iteration.  Inspired by Silicon Valley Product Group's Lessons From Leaders.

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"Be stubborn on vision but flexible on details."

Being agile isn't an excuse to fumble along forwards, backwards, or sideways until you get your act together.  

On the contrary, agile marketing requires you to have a strong guiding vision of what you want to accomplish, what problem you are solving, and for whom.  What inspires you?  Why will it inspire your customer? 

The vision you set can change once you get started, but you should still think critically and plan up front.  This prevents you from wasting precious time and resources on big bets that don't pan out.  Rather, it allows you to act nimbly in the moment once those mistakes are made (and they will be made) because you are aware of your situation and your options.

In addition, a goal that unites the organization will ensure that everyone is on the same page.  Prioritization can be difficult otherwise, because doing one task means not doing another, or at least pushing it lower on the to-do list.  Many times, everything seems urgent and important -- but due to finite resources, certain projects and tasks have to be put above others.

Being steadfast on the vision helps to guide these decisions about prioritization, which allows teams to focus detailed efforts on the right projects.  By balancing flexibility and vision, you will be able to fully reap the benefits of agile marketing.

Comments

[Jim Ewel]

Winnie, I couldn't agree more. I recommend that people put together a marketing model (similar to Alexander Osterwalder's Business Model Canvas) prior to starting an Agile Marketing project - making sure that everyone is one the same page in regards to the problem we're solving, who's the target customer(s), what's the value proposition, which customer touch points are critical. etc. These may change as a result of what we learn through the process of engaging with customers, but it gives everyone a common starting point, and helps people prioritize.

-Jim
@jimewel
www.agilemarketing.net