Reimaging an organization’s digital marketing strategy is exciting. But it requires a thoughtful look at one of your biggest resources – your team. Attend this session and learn how UC San Diego Health, poised to implement a new digital marketing strategic roadmap, first invested in deep analysis of their current staffing and team structure, defining and comparing current roles and responsibilities against future needs and creating a plan for success.
SHSMD Connections 2021 Virtual runs October 19-21. Register today!
Selected Podcast
The Road to Becoming a Digital Marketing Leader Starts with Your Team
Featured Speaker:
Ben Dillon
Ben Dillon is the Chief Strategy Officer. Transcription:
Intro: The following SHSMD podcast is a production of DoctorPodcasting.com.
Bill Klaproth (Host): This is a special podcast produced onsite at SHSMD Connections 2021 annual conference in San Antonio, as we talked with keynote speakers and session leaders direct from the show floor. We had the opportunity to talk with Ben Dillon, Chief Strategy Officer at Geonetric. Ben, thanks for stopping by the podcast booth today. We appreciate it, at SHSMD Connections 2021. So your session, The Road To Becoming a Digital Marketing Leader Starts With Your Team. Give us a brief overview.
Ben Dillon (Guest): Absolutely. So, I think every healthcare organization right now is struggling with where they're going with digital. That the pandemic has accelerated the pace at which we're all changing and consumers expectations around digital had just gone through the roof. And so, organizations all over the place or trying to, reinvision, trying to think this stuff through, investing in digital strategy.
This was part of a big digital transformation project that we're doing. We being Geonetric. We're doing with UC San Diego Health. And, we were, looking at the future of their digital plan. We're looking at the tech stack. We were looking at, you know, all sorts of things. Like a lot of organizations are doing.
This session is really focused on a piece that it feels like a lot of organizations are neglecting, and that is, there's a staff need that goes along with that. You just need the bandwidth, the people to get from here to there. And understanding where your staff is, understanding what they're going to need in order to be successful with this next stage of things, huge gap in the way that organizations are trying to assess this stuff right now.
Host: Right. So all the tools and technology is really cool and exciting, but you can't forget about one of your biggest resources, as you say, your team, right? So, you really need to evaluate your team. So how do you do that?
Ben: We sat down with the team and we looked at a bunch of different digital marketing disciplines. And we surveyed the team looking at a couple of different pieces of information. First, we were asking them how they're spending their time today. Just understanding what the burden on the team looks like right now. We asked the people on the team to self evaluate their capabilities in each one of these areas. And it's valuable. It, it is something you take with a grain of salt. It's, it's really interesting to see the difference in perception about how the leadership sometimes viewed people's skills versus how they viewed their own skills.
But we also then asked about their interest in developing more deeply in those areas. A lot of organizations, even though they have huge needs, are really struggling to bring on additional staff. So, understanding where you can upskill staff. Understanding where you can develop capabilities within your team, is just as important as understanding where you need to try and justify a new position and bring someone in to help give the team some capacity it doesn't have today.
Host: Interesting. So, you're trying to find out how are you spending your time? You ask them to self evaluate. And then do they have any interest in developing other skills, upskilling, as you said,
Ben: Exactly. And we look at these things and try to give it some context, right? So, when we look at how the team is spending its time, we do a big annual survey of digital marketing in healthcare at Geonetric. The 2020 survey is available at geonetric.com. The 2021 will be available here before too long. But you know, we, we gathered a bunch of data about how organizations have their team spending time. So, we put together a peer group. In this case, it was a bunch of academic medical centers. And did some benchmarking, right? We compared, okay, this is how your team is putting things together. This is how other organizations that look a lot like you, are putting things together. And that doesn't mean that you have to match from where you are to where they are, but it just gives you some context to say, okay, it feels like maybe we don't have enough in this area, but actually we're pretty in line with where a lot of our peers are. And what does that tell us? Or, hey, we're spending a tremendous amount of time in project management, right? That's not really the value that we want to be adding. Like, let's understand why it's taking us so much time to do project management, when our peers are doing things maybe with a fraction of that. And so it just gives you the context to start asking different kinds of questions about how the team is investing time today.
Host: Okay. So once you've done that evaluation, you kind of understand the current team staffing structure, if you will, how do you create a roadmap then, or a plan for success once you've evaluated the team and understand what you have?
Ben: That is absolutely the question. So we look at, how they're comparing to peers, we look at kind of this bigger plan about what they want to be doing here, not just right now, but in three years or five years. We look at, you know, the skills and capabilities of the team. And then we break it down and say, okay, these are areas where we think you have immediate need for additional capacity, whatever that looks like.
We look at where are the areas where you're going to need more capacity, but, but not immediately, it's something for down the road. And then try to provide some guidance on the ways to do that. We also have some data on outsourcing and so you can kind of look and say, okay, like this is an area that's relatively easy to outsource, so yeah, you need stuff. It's hard to justify positions. This is an area where you can really go outside the organization easily and get the capacity you need to, to be more effective there, whereas, you know, here's another area where you kind of need people, you know, feet on the ground within the organization.
This is an area where you can upskill because your people have a passion for it and would like to be doing more of it. Or, it's something where, where maybe you need to look at it, bringing in some additional resources and go to try and justify positions that are going to have the most impact.
Host: Right. So, this really helps the marketing communications team function more effectively and efficiently as well.
Ben: That is the goal. That is the goal. And we also flip all that data around and everyone who participated sheet outlining their answers as a guide for their own personal development conversations with, with their managers, with their leaders. And so we try to make sure that it's a tool that's adding value to the people who are taking the time to give it. As well as to the organization, giving them more of a global picture of what's going on within that team.
Host: That's great. Any other things you want to add?
Ben: I'm just excited that we're all back in person. It has been wonderful to be here physically on the ground and hoping that we'll all be together again next year for all this stuff as well.
Host: That would be great. There's nothing better than in-person meeting when you get to network at and things like SHSMD Connections 2021, it's just fantastic.
Ben: Yeah. We've missed it a lot. suspect you have as many seems to be primary topic of conversation is it's great to see people not on a screen.
Host: So true. So true. So last question, and this might be the very most important question of all. Can you tell us about the man bun?
Ben: You know, so, so the hair started it. I just didn't want to get a haircut in the middle of the pandemic. Right. And, and I think a lot of us kind of went through different iterations that. I have a lot of friends whose, whose, significant others, started cutting hair for the first time in the, in the living room or out on the deck. I just throw on a big set of headphones, which, which really is a, is a male acceptable headband during that process.
Host: like that. Good.
Ben: From there, like, you know, the man bun is. It is both fashionable. But it is also very practical. It is a, you know, it was 99 degrees here yesterday. You may not know, long hair is really warm. And so, is the best way to get that hair up and off the neck. And, and it's, it's a really a temperature control device as well as, as a bold fashion statement.
Host: Yeah it is. And it's kinda makes you look to be like a rebel as another statement. This is look at this dude. This is a cool dude right here.
Ben: Yeah. I couldn't quite bring myself to do the hair bun and a tie though. So think it's, it's moved my, my personal fashion center just a little bit to the left.
Host: I love it. Well, this has really been good. So thank you for stopping by you and the man bun. I appreciate both of you stopping by today.
Ben: been a pleasure.
Host: Alright. Thanks, Ben.
Ben: Take care.
Host: And sign up for the SHSMD Connections, virtual conference, October 19th through the 21st 2021, which will feature two days of new sessions plus recordings from the in-person event, go to shshmd.org/education/annualconference to learn more and to get registered. And please join us at next year's conference, SHSMD Connections 2022, September 11th through the 14th at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland outside of Washington, DC. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and to access our full podcast library for other topics of interest to you, visit shsmd.org/podcasts. I'm Bill Klaproth. As always, thanks for listening.
Intro: The following SHSMD podcast is a production of DoctorPodcasting.com.
Bill Klaproth (Host): This is a special podcast produced onsite at SHSMD Connections 2021 annual conference in San Antonio, as we talked with keynote speakers and session leaders direct from the show floor. We had the opportunity to talk with Ben Dillon, Chief Strategy Officer at Geonetric. Ben, thanks for stopping by the podcast booth today. We appreciate it, at SHSMD Connections 2021. So your session, The Road To Becoming a Digital Marketing Leader Starts With Your Team. Give us a brief overview.
Ben Dillon (Guest): Absolutely. So, I think every healthcare organization right now is struggling with where they're going with digital. That the pandemic has accelerated the pace at which we're all changing and consumers expectations around digital had just gone through the roof. And so, organizations all over the place or trying to, reinvision, trying to think this stuff through, investing in digital strategy.
This was part of a big digital transformation project that we're doing. We being Geonetric. We're doing with UC San Diego Health. And, we were, looking at the future of their digital plan. We're looking at the tech stack. We were looking at, you know, all sorts of things. Like a lot of organizations are doing.
This session is really focused on a piece that it feels like a lot of organizations are neglecting, and that is, there's a staff need that goes along with that. You just need the bandwidth, the people to get from here to there. And understanding where your staff is, understanding what they're going to need in order to be successful with this next stage of things, huge gap in the way that organizations are trying to assess this stuff right now.
Host: Right. So all the tools and technology is really cool and exciting, but you can't forget about one of your biggest resources, as you say, your team, right? So, you really need to evaluate your team. So how do you do that?
Ben: We sat down with the team and we looked at a bunch of different digital marketing disciplines. And we surveyed the team looking at a couple of different pieces of information. First, we were asking them how they're spending their time today. Just understanding what the burden on the team looks like right now. We asked the people on the team to self evaluate their capabilities in each one of these areas. And it's valuable. It, it is something you take with a grain of salt. It's, it's really interesting to see the difference in perception about how the leadership sometimes viewed people's skills versus how they viewed their own skills.
But we also then asked about their interest in developing more deeply in those areas. A lot of organizations, even though they have huge needs, are really struggling to bring on additional staff. So, understanding where you can upskill staff. Understanding where you can develop capabilities within your team, is just as important as understanding where you need to try and justify a new position and bring someone in to help give the team some capacity it doesn't have today.
Host: Interesting. So, you're trying to find out how are you spending your time? You ask them to self evaluate. And then do they have any interest in developing other skills, upskilling, as you said,
Ben: Exactly. And we look at these things and try to give it some context, right? So, when we look at how the team is spending its time, we do a big annual survey of digital marketing in healthcare at Geonetric. The 2020 survey is available at geonetric.com. The 2021 will be available here before too long. But you know, we, we gathered a bunch of data about how organizations have their team spending time. So, we put together a peer group. In this case, it was a bunch of academic medical centers. And did some benchmarking, right? We compared, okay, this is how your team is putting things together. This is how other organizations that look a lot like you, are putting things together. And that doesn't mean that you have to match from where you are to where they are, but it just gives you some context to say, okay, it feels like maybe we don't have enough in this area, but actually we're pretty in line with where a lot of our peers are. And what does that tell us? Or, hey, we're spending a tremendous amount of time in project management, right? That's not really the value that we want to be adding. Like, let's understand why it's taking us so much time to do project management, when our peers are doing things maybe with a fraction of that. And so it just gives you the context to start asking different kinds of questions about how the team is investing time today.
Host: Okay. So once you've done that evaluation, you kind of understand the current team staffing structure, if you will, how do you create a roadmap then, or a plan for success once you've evaluated the team and understand what you have?
Ben: That is absolutely the question. So we look at, how they're comparing to peers, we look at kind of this bigger plan about what they want to be doing here, not just right now, but in three years or five years. We look at, you know, the skills and capabilities of the team. And then we break it down and say, okay, these are areas where we think you have immediate need for additional capacity, whatever that looks like.
We look at where are the areas where you're going to need more capacity, but, but not immediately, it's something for down the road. And then try to provide some guidance on the ways to do that. We also have some data on outsourcing and so you can kind of look and say, okay, like this is an area that's relatively easy to outsource, so yeah, you need stuff. It's hard to justify positions. This is an area where you can really go outside the organization easily and get the capacity you need to, to be more effective there, whereas, you know, here's another area where you kind of need people, you know, feet on the ground within the organization.
This is an area where you can upskill because your people have a passion for it and would like to be doing more of it. Or, it's something where, where maybe you need to look at it, bringing in some additional resources and go to try and justify positions that are going to have the most impact.
Host: Right. So, this really helps the marketing communications team function more effectively and efficiently as well.
Ben: That is the goal. That is the goal. And we also flip all that data around and everyone who participated sheet outlining their answers as a guide for their own personal development conversations with, with their managers, with their leaders. And so we try to make sure that it's a tool that's adding value to the people who are taking the time to give it. As well as to the organization, giving them more of a global picture of what's going on within that team.
Host: That's great. Any other things you want to add?
Ben: I'm just excited that we're all back in person. It has been wonderful to be here physically on the ground and hoping that we'll all be together again next year for all this stuff as well.
Host: That would be great. There's nothing better than in-person meeting when you get to network at and things like SHSMD Connections 2021, it's just fantastic.
Ben: Yeah. We've missed it a lot. suspect you have as many seems to be primary topic of conversation is it's great to see people not on a screen.
Host: So true. So true. So last question, and this might be the very most important question of all. Can you tell us about the man bun?
Ben: You know, so, so the hair started it. I just didn't want to get a haircut in the middle of the pandemic. Right. And, and I think a lot of us kind of went through different iterations that. I have a lot of friends whose, whose, significant others, started cutting hair for the first time in the, in the living room or out on the deck. I just throw on a big set of headphones, which, which really is a, is a male acceptable headband during that process.
Host: like that. Good.
Ben: From there, like, you know, the man bun is. It is both fashionable. But it is also very practical. It is a, you know, it was 99 degrees here yesterday. You may not know, long hair is really warm. And so, is the best way to get that hair up and off the neck. And, and it's, it's a really a temperature control device as well as, as a bold fashion statement.
Host: Yeah it is. And it's kinda makes you look to be like a rebel as another statement. This is look at this dude. This is a cool dude right here.
Ben: Yeah. I couldn't quite bring myself to do the hair bun and a tie though. So think it's, it's moved my, my personal fashion center just a little bit to the left.
Host: I love it. Well, this has really been good. So thank you for stopping by you and the man bun. I appreciate both of you stopping by today.
Ben: been a pleasure.
Host: Alright. Thanks, Ben.
Ben: Take care.
Host: And sign up for the SHSMD Connections, virtual conference, October 19th through the 21st 2021, which will feature two days of new sessions plus recordings from the in-person event, go to shshmd.org/education/annualconference to learn more and to get registered. And please join us at next year's conference, SHSMD Connections 2022, September 11th through the 14th at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland outside of Washington, DC. And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and to access our full podcast library for other topics of interest to you, visit shsmd.org/podcasts. I'm Bill Klaproth. As always, thanks for listening.