When building a new house, the owners start with a fresh design, mold the structure into a home, and choose their wall treatments, flooring, and lighting. However, when buying an older home, more work and acceptance of the little annoyances become necessary. Over time, the owners apply a little paint, change the wallpaper, and slowly shape the house to better suit their lifestyle.

In much the same way, when a new manager comes in, she inherits a team in place. The new manager doesn't get to pick the team members and is faced with existing challenges. In such situations, a good manager listens, digs in slowly and molds the team toward the manager's style over time.

In our latest dilemma, a new VP steps all over the previous executive's shoes, drop-kicks them out of the office and takes a dictatorial role rather than one of leadership. This completely goes against the idea that a successful team is one where every person has a say and listens to each other's input.

SWOT Team, we are looking for your advice how to help these marketing team members who were hired to do something rather than just sit by and take orders. What is a team to do when its house gets trampled by a new occupant? How do you handle a new boss who gives orders and takes little or no input?

Your “house” may be in good shape with remodeling efforts going smoothly. Or perhaps you have a fixer-upper that needs a hand; our SWOT Team is standing by with its tool belt to help. Pose your dilemma to our readers and you will receive a free copy of our book, A Marketer's Guide to e-Newsletter Publishing.

Tune in to the previous dilemma where a business owner reluctantly has to toot her own horn to sell herself as a product. She is struggling with promoting the band without sounding like the star of the show. March on down to get your colleagues' reactions.

Team up and share your experiences!

• Give advice about this issue's dilemma.

• Read your peers' responses to the previous dilemma (below).

• Submit your dilemma.

Current Dilemma

SWOT Category: Internal Weakness/External Opportunity

We're getting flattened by a marketing boss's steamroller!

I'm a marketing director who is in a pickle with my new boss, who was just hired as Marketing VP. Our company is 15 years old and well established in our industry. Two days after he was hired, he called us together and laid out his marketing plan, a plan that requires lots of work from us with short deadlines and large expectations. His style is non-participatory and he gets defensive if we question an element of the plan.

Our last VP had the opposite personality. She did a great job and was offered a better position at a different company. We are saddled with a steamroller who dictates orders instead of leading. It is quickly becoming a disaster in the making. Since I am the number-two person in the department, it is a hard position to be in and I must tread lightly.

I have tried to address this with the VP, but he got angry and said something I haven't heard in years, “my way or the highway.” Our team has been together for years and has done remarkable things. I would hate to give it up. How can a person work around such a situation? I'm sure others have been trapped in a situation where a higher-up built a wall and gave no support to employees.

—Anonymous, Marketing Director

Previous Dilemma

SWOT Category: Internal Weakness

How do you sell a one-woman band?

I'm a one-woman band. In other words, I'm the lone person in my business, in which I offer a service. Obviously, this means I have to sell myself as a product. I've seen others sell their services, and it comes across as egotistical, self-serving, or some other negative way, whether or not it is meant to. Sending a press release or letter to a reporter or business about your own strengths or superiorities is vital to your business's success. But how do you get the needed so that it doesn't rub recipients the wrong way?

—Anonymous, Business Owner

Summary of Advice Received

Gaining new clients is a tough task for the lone person in a business, especially if the person isn't comfortable with sales. The downsideto being a sole proprietor is, obviously, having to play all roles simultaneously: accountant, salesperson, negotiator and project manager, in addition to the being the expert in your specialty.

Ian Gertler, president and CEO of Symplegades, Inc., reminds us of the definition of publicity from Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: “an act or device designed to attract public interest; specifically—information with news value issued as a means of gaining public attention or support.”

Ian says, “While the definition is fundamentally correct, it's the classic battle between theory and implementation. The definition focuses on the result, which is the main objective of those looking to utilize the media. The real importance lies in the strategy and implementation.”

In response to the business owner's dilemma, SWOT Team members provide several solutions for being heard over the competition; any or all of these can add to her publicity strategy and bag of tricks:

1. Pair up with another business.

2. Provide value to your target audience.

3. Tell a story instead of flaunting your company.

4. Build relationships with reporters.

5. Promote your expertise.

1. Pair up with another business

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hank Stroll (Hank@InternetVIZ.com) is publisher at InternetVIZ, a custom publisher of 24 B2B e-newsletters reaching 490,000 business executives.