What's a good way to approach decisions that other teams feel they should own vs. Demand Gen feels they should own?

I am fortunate to be a part of a journey where both the span and the scope of what a Demand generation team does have evolved over time. In my experience, the role of what a Demand gen team does will and should change as the organization matures. In the early days, in most orgs, Demand gen manages all things that touch a buyer - SEO, Website, Performance marketing, and Content marketing. As the org evolves, the role gets elevated in a few areas but leaner in others. For example, the concept of I ...Read More

Always approach the discussion with an open mind to understand the “why” behind the ask. When people come to you asking about ownership it may be to create clarity, remove duplicative work, or something else. Once you understand the “why” you can start to dive into the specifics of the project workflows and areas of ownership to have a discussion on the “how” to solve it. This then becomes a discussion on the process, pieces of the project, and potentially re-reviewing a RACI built previously. I ...Read More

Start by establishing swimlanes with all key stakeholders and leaders, not just within Demand Gen. Map out the teams and define distinct areas of responsibility and roles within the wider organization to ensure that each team knows what they are accountable for. This involves creating boundaries around tasks, projects, and functions to minimize overlap and confusion. Document these roles and review them at least once a quarter, adjusting as needed. Additionally, don’t be afraid of conflict. By e ...Read More

A successful integrated marketing plan takes a village of marketers across a myriad of functions and specialties. When there are unclear swim lanes, I tend to like to address where the confusion lies and build a slide that defines the RACI (responsible, accountable, consulted, informed). If this doesn't help resolve, then I also request to sit down with the partner and document out the process. Often times, I find the confusion in ownership lays in mis-alignment on definitions of certain commonl ...Read More

Great question. Like most everything, it starts with the business goal/program/project; what are we trying to get done? To avoid this question throughout the project or day-to-day, it’s best to agree on roles and responsibilities from the beginning. Generally, my approach while working with these  is:  First, keep a collaborative mindset. The end goal is figuring out how to get the best work out there, not “who has the power”. Both teams have expertise which should make 1+1 = 3 instead of 2. Ide ...Read More

Make a business case as to why the Demand Gen team should own the decision. This means making an argument based on the positive business impact or outcomes that will occur if the Demand Gen team makes this decision. This argument could include specifics like what skillsets/experience you have on the team, what information or tools you're armed with that other teams aren't, what kind of insights you have about your customers/clients, or what other work is connected to this decision that will bene ...Read More

A good way to approach decisions that other teams feel they should own is to first start by opening up the lines of communication with transparency. The approach may be different if this is an established function versus a newer function that is being formed. Either way this comes down to communication and collaboration. It’s important to note this can be a difficult conversation. Have a clear answer for the “why” or purpose. Why do you feel that X team should own the decision? What form of owne ...Read More