a no-zombie zone: managing people in content strategy
TRANSCRIPT
N O Z O M B I E Z O N E :
@ A M Y G R A C E W E L L S , U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H C A R O L I N A
managing people in content strategy
M Y J O U R N E Y
• Ohio University (college communicator)
• Texas A&M AgriLife (shared service)
• University of South Carolina (central Mar/Com)
M Y J O U R N E Y
OMG! She’s here.
What is she going to do?
Am I going have to do more work?
Am I going to lose responsibility?
N O E VA C U AT I O NE N T E R T H E Z O M B I E A P O C A LY P S E
S I T U AT I O N A L B R I E F
The pandemic has started !
!
You have been tasked with saving & bringing together surviving population
P O P U L AT I O N S Y M P T O M S
Change after change turnover reorganization priorities
!
Silos !
No champions
PAT I E N T S Y M P T O M S
Fear
Agendas
Prejudices
Past experiences
Motivations
Needs
SUR VE IL LANCE
Observe your population
Identify those infected
Identify those immune
!
Don’t diagnose too fast
Those infected can heal
SUR VE IL LANCE
Learn how it spreads
job roles
viewpoints
politics
influence
BATTLE RHYTHM
A C T I V E LY L I S T E N
M E D I C I N A L S U P P O R T ( C O F F E E ! )
AT T E N D M E E T I N G S
PREPAREDNESS FRAMEWORK
Know response team roles Who creates what? What are the goals? !
Look for big picture connections !
Bring together member states
BATTLE RHYTHM
A N A LY Z E
U S E R G O A L S
P L A N
PAT I E N T C A R E ( PA I N P O I N T S )
Find those in isolation or quarantine !
Why are they there? • People • Technology • Management
!
Is there a patient zero?
Z O M B I E : S K E P T I C
• Wants to get better
• Truly wants to do more impactful work
• Asks a lot of questions
• Hard to read
• May seem skeptical but don’t overlook
• Likely an ally
Z O M B I E : R E T I R E M E N T
• Comfortable with their job
• Stabilized in the community
• Won’t fight you but will take effort to understand
• Is not a champion but a follower
Z O M B I E : C R E AT I V E
• We understand this zombie
• May be designer, developer, etc.
• Not as engaged in daily strategy but affected
• Strong opinions
• May be easily swayed
Z O M B I E : A M B I T I O N
• Likely younger and/or newer to higher ed
• Killer resume
• Ambition combined with negativity
• Influencer and vocal
• Will not go willingly
• Most difficult to treat
BATTLE RHYTHM
PAT I E N C E F O R PAT I E N T S
B E A P P R O A C H A B L E
B E A N A D V O C AT E
E N G A G E L E A D E R S H I P
T R A N S M I S S I O N ( W O R K F L O W S )
Can be most difficult to change !
Insert within transmission loop !
Dependent on production schedules & timing !
Tied to pain points
BATTLE RHYTHM
U N D E R S TA N D P R O C E S S E S
I N S E R T S T E P S
A D A P T E X I S T I N G T O O L S
S M A L L C H A N G E S / B I G I M PA C T S
A I R S U P P O R T
Advisory group
team leaders, directors
Boots on the ground
content creators
Lab support
developers
BATTLE RHYTHM
K N O W T H E B I G G O A L S
K N O W T H E B U D G E T
K N O W T H E M A N A G E R S
K N O W W H AT Y O U W A N T
D I D Y O U S U R V I V E ?
Useable plan
Don’t scare off survivors
Make it approachable
Use their language
M Y O U T C O M E
• Content tiers to drive editorial
• Editorial themes to reinforce
• Inserted into existing workflows
• Scalability
• Build upon strengths!
I M P L E M E N TAT I O N P H A S E 1
• Present to all directors; get buy-in
• directors are including in employee goals
• Recruit key team members
• share with team champions
• Answer questions… and then answer some more
I M P L E M E N TAT I O N P H A S E 2
• Present to all teams
• half-day workshop-style
• mix teams
• time for reflection
• follow up
P O S T M O R T E M
L I S T E N learn roles, viewpoints, politics
M O D E L find your content, know your users
C O N N E C T discover the pain points, understand the people
F L O W map the workflows & consider the people
S U P P O R T know your champions & get buy-in
@ A M Y G R A C E W E L L S
Thanks