Creating a Collaborative Work Environment

by  Julia Missaggia

In the advertising world, creativity and collaboration don’t always go hand in hand. As is the case in many other industries, various departments often have their own objectives and goals. In business since 1992, TPG Direct, a medium-sized direct marketing agency, wanted something more for their employees and their clients. 

“We wanted to create an atmosphere in which each employee was fully engaged. We wanted every employee to feel that they were an integral part of the final product—the success of our clients and of TPG Direct,” says Steve Longley, president of TPG Direct.

Importantly, the effort was with the full support of their parent company, Omnicom Corporation and TPG’s CEO.

To meet these objectives, a number of areas were addressed.

Physical space

New, warm colors such as coffee and reds were selected, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.  The formerly traditional offices that featured six-foot high walled cubicles, were revamped to encourage closer interaction in job function.  An open area for the art department was created that allowed individuals to move desks around to create the best environment for a specific situation.  The new office included five conference rooms to be used for internal meetings as well as client meetings.  

Technology

Utilizing cloud-based software (from Business Execution Software provider, SuccessFactors), a regularly scheduled evaluation process was implemented with four core competencies identified:  organizational savvy, results focus, vision and values, and customer focus.  An online employee self-review was implemented.  The first pass is filled out by the employee and is then routed back to the manager who responds with a written review.  This is followed by a face-to-face meeting where any discrepancies are discussed.  Once both parties sign-off on next steps, the review goes to a second level manager for a final review.  This process continues on an on-going basis,  helping open up lines of communications between managers and employees.

Collaborative work software provided the technological foundation for an environment that organizes internal and external information and communication through a collaborative process that enhances service delivery.  An extranet provides a robust user experience with the addition of threaded discussion functionality and the ability to upload documents, thereby creating fully interactive “group memory.”  With this process, intellectual capital can be managed and shared with employees, suppliers, partners, and customers, creating a streamlined approval and decision making process.

Transparency and collaboration

Transparency – both internally and between the agency and its clients — was also encouraged through changes in the physical space.    Open meeting areas were created  throughout the office where people hold formal and informal meetings as needed.  Department to department meetings are becoming the norm as people learn the benefits of openness as they work through client projects. 

From an administrative point of view, seminars and individual sessions are offered on an as-needed basis and monthly meetings are held to showcase work that was – and wasn’t – bought by TPG clients.  The point here is that good work may not be bought by the client but it can still be good work that is appreciated by peers. 

Results

The agency has been conducting coffee talks for about a year.  And while these sessions started out with many pent-up issues being addressed, today  the meetings service primarily as a forum for new ideas. 

TPG employees now have a clear line of management, facilitating both decision making and transparency.  One-on-one coaching for managers is available, to enable them to better communicate with employees. In addition, there is a focus on “managing up.”  That is, teaching employees to better prioritize and to become more effective in completing daily tasks, and increasing efficiency overall. 

Employee engagement is proven to be the cornerstone of excellence. TPG’s goal was to create an environment that was supportive, motivating and inspiring,   aligning the goals of each individual with the company’s purpose, values, and vision.  The company has made great strides in achieving their goals, promoting a sense of accountability and productivity among its employees. And the final result?  Great work products and successful client relationships.

Julia Missaggia is HR Director for TPG Direct, a direct marketing agency based in Philadelphia.