In the past, the cadence of marketing was dictated by the response times necessary for traditional offline channels and the telephone. Today's marketer must contend with the needs of a 24/7 competitive global marketplace. While agility and speed to market are essential, the hitch is this: Today's integrated, multi-channel marketing demands actually complicate the marketing process, and slow time to market.

Increasingly sophisticated (demographic, psychographic, behavioral) segmentation and "mass customization" practices are creating more personal, relevant messages. They're also creating more work for marketers: Instead of two versions of a welcome kit, there might now be five; instead of three versions of a newsletter, there might be 14. The increase in the number of customer messages being developed within marketing has driven an exponential increase in the number of development cycles being managed by marketing today. To complicate matters, mounting legal and privacy issues mandate more approval time and can extend the length of development cycles.

The proliferation of online and offline channels creates a unique set of challenges for marketers today. Customers now switch dynamically between online and offline channels and expect appropriate recognition and response at every turn. To create "seamless" customer dialog across channels, marketers must proactively anticipate customer choice, create a framework for messaging and response, and ensure messages are delivered and response is measured effectively across channels. In the quest to provide this seamless experience, they can encounter significant operational and technical barriers, which impact development cycles.

Able to leap tall silos in a single bound

Yesterday's marketing department often behaved as "an island unto itself," interfacing largely with a few internal departments and external agencies. Today's marketing departments coordinate and interface on a frequent basis with a mounting number of internal and external constituencies—IT, Finance, Analytics, Research, Product Development, Customer Service, Corporate Communications, Legal/Privacy, etc.—in addition to channel staff, agencies and other external partners.

To make matters worse, in today's business climate, the lines of demarcation, roles and responsibilities that exist in marketing groups and other departments have become cloudy. Yet, it is often the marketer's responsibility to sort through the chaos, leap over the confusion and drive through to meet deadlines. Very often, they succeed. But the mental, physical and business acrobatics necessary to produce every-day outcomes often result in exhaustion, frustration and poor morale.

Apply here?

Do marketers have a reason for burnout? Without question. It seems to be a natural outcome of an era of marketing transformation. Today, the organizational role, scope and power of the marketing department are being redefined. Areas of control and influence are being expanded. New areas of specialization and job focus are being created. Corporate infrastructures are being realigned. Systems are being modified and integrated. Old paradigms are being broken; new paradigms are being created. We're pioneering in new frontiers.

In the midst of this change, however, marketers have to find ways to produce—and survive! Beyond individual coping tactics, we must ask ourselves how corporations can help minimize the casualties in this brave new world. In my opinion, success hinges on good, smart leadership:

• Smart leaders understand the impact market evolution is having, both on the marketer and the role and scope of marketing within the organization. They understand that to drive customer delight over the next decade the entire organization must be rallied. They recognize that marketing is likely to lead this charge, and seek to position the department and individuals accordingly.
  
  
• Smart leaders know how to translate the plight of the marketer and the marketing organization to senior executives. They engage other leaders to break bottlenecks and improve the operational environment and business culture. They are advocates for accountability, effective process, standards and methodologies that help things run smoothly.
  
  
• Smart leaders don't treat talent like a commodity. They recognize the skill sets of each individual and put them to work accordingly. They appreciate the contribution of creative, visionary, strategic thinkers and balance this vision with analytic thinkers who bring fact-based analysis to the table. They know when to stretch individuals beyond comfort zones—and when to acquire new talent. They appreciate the power of outsourcing and use it effectively to speed results, increase manpower and augment skill sets as necessary.
  
  
• Smart leaders know the value of investing to retain good people. They work actively to attract, engage and retain people with the skills to get things done. They allocate dollars and time to ensure that training, education and knowledge sharing occur to expand team competencies and keep minds sharp. They implement performance-based incentive programs to ensure that results are rewarded and effort is recognized. They recognize the difference between everyday accomplishments and superhuman feats. They use real and emotional capital to reward performers individually in the ways that matter most.
  
  
• Smart leaders understand that working smarter is more important than working harder. They understand that marketers must work with their heads more than they work with their bodies (going to meetings, taking notes, pushing reports). They know the difference between an effective workday and a long workday, and engrain within each employee a focus on working efficiently and accountably.
  
  
• Smart leaders listen. They tune in to what people say and what remains unsaid. They consider individual, team and general morale. They know how to tap into an undercurrent of pessimism and infuse it with hope, relief, advocacy and understanding. They understand that the majority of problems that have an effect on marketing come from outside the marketing department, and respond as sympathetic and fierce advocates.

In summary, smart leaders serve as an important first line defense for burnout by helping protect organizations from the backlash of overwork and exhaustion. Over the next decade, attracting smart, capable leaders who can successfully drive improvement and change—while maintaining productivity within the marketing enterprise—will be critical to success.

In the meantime, we're in for a lot of turmoil, and more than our share of work!