Stop me if you’ve heard this one:

Your boss really wants to get started on their campaign, but the IT Department doesn’t have the resources. Or maybe they need to ‘get everything else in line’ first. One thing leads to another, and suddenly it’s been 6 months since you got that strategic plan approved, and nothing’s happened.

You can always try my method: Increase sarcasm in proportion to time passed.

However, that’s never worked. So here are a few more constructive suggestions:

1. Provide concrete ideas: Don’t wait for the boss’s request, just show them your concept.
2. Get permission, one step at a time: Divide your campaign into individual actions, complete them one at a time, and then get permission to go to the next step.
3. Take a flyer: I don’t recommend this unless you’re pretty secure in your job or client relationship, but sometimes throwing $2000 and some experimental time at a test campaign can prove the concept and give the campaign a kickstart.
4. Go organic: If the hours are approved but the ad budget isn’t, get creative. Try blogging, organic SEO, etc..
5. Bubblewrap: Tape bubble wrap to your walls, and pound on it. Then move on. Sometimes, nothing will pull your project out of the muck. If that’s the case, and you’ve tried everything, it may be better for your health, your career and your sanity to just move to the next thing.

None of these are cure-alls. I grind my teeth daily. But they can help when you’re almost at that tipping point.

Any ideas you’ve used in the past that have worked? Or failed?