Rick Milenthal could see the potential that was out there for his business and he could hardly contain his excitement.
Instead of just being another marketing agency, the rapid growth and development of social technology was making it possible for Engauge to be “a total engagement company,” says Milenthal, the 275-employee company’s CEO. The opportunities to reach people had stretched way beyond a traditional 30-second spot on TV or a paid advertisement in the newspaper.
But going after this goal would require employees to step out of their comfort zone and pursue options that rarely came with a guarantee of success.
“As soon as you say, ‘We have it. The answers are inside these walls,’ you’re toast,” Milenthal says. “Within a few months, someone else will have the answer and they’ll beat you. You need to be out there championing new creative ideas and bringing them in to be exposed to your clients and your people.”
In short, Milenthal needed his people to join with him and take a leap of faith.
“The biggest challenge and opportunity for a leader today is to celebrate and embrace change,” Milenthal says. “Change is something that can build anxiety, but change is usually opportunity. The empowerment of the individual consumer has brought a lot of anxiety to other marketing agencies around the country. But for us, it’s been something we’ve been excited about.”
So Milenthal had to convey that the journey might take the $127 million company through some unpredictable twists and turns. But at the same time, he needed to give them a sense that there was a plan and that there was a goal that everyone would be working to achieve.
Here’s how he did it.