content governance workshop confab 2015

Kathy Wagner & Melissa Breker

Co-Founders, Content Strategy Inc

@Kathy_CS_Inc + @ melissabreker

#ConfabMN + #contentgov

Magic.

https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/B4_sgicIYAEbnew.mp4https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/B4_sgicIYAEbnew.mp4https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/B4_sgicIYAEbnew.mp4https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video/B4_sgicIYAEbnew.mp4

We need to

align people

+ process.

Enterprises fail at execution fail at execution fail at execution fail at execution because

they neglectneglectneglectneglect the most powerful

drivers of effectiveness:

decision decision decision decision rights rights rights rights & & & & information flowinformation flowinformation flowinformation flow.

Harvard Business Review, The Secrets to Successful Strategy The Secrets to Successful Strategy The Secrets to Successful Strategy The Secrets to Successful Strategy Execution Execution Execution Execution by by by by

Gary L. Neilson, Karla L. Martin, Elizabeth Powers, June 2008.

Melissa’s Bio

• Grew up wrestling

crocodiles in

Australia

• Transitioned out of

marketing into

content strategy

• Fell in love with

supporting change

Today I help change the way people think about content through teaching,

mentoring, partnering with others, and running workshops.

Kathy’s Bio

• Grew up reading and

daydreaming

• Moved through technical

communications &

customer experience

• Have been doing content

strategy my entire life

Today I help change the way people think about content by shining a light in

dark corners and cleaning out content cobwebs.

Company Clients

And what

about you?

And what about you?

• 73% work in a company

• 15% work in an agency

• 12% work in an NGO

And what about you?

• 60% are just getting started in content

governance.

• 25% are already awesome at it and want to

swap notes.

• 15% don’t know where they fit, but seem

pretty worried about content governance.

• Personal intro

• One thing you love

• What’s important to

you about content

governance and

why?

Small Group Introductions

What’s up

for today?

Overview

Morning

Maturity Models

Governance Models

Roles and responsibilities

Success Metrics

Afternoon

Decision-making and Support

Processes

Information Systems & Workflow

Change Management

Overview

We need you.

Be involved.

Be respectful.

Be responsible.

What to expect:1. Introduction to topic

2. Individual exercise

3. Large group exercise

4. Sharing

In this workshop, you’ll learn

how to identify, define, and

evangelize content

governance solutions for

your organization.

Your goals: • Different approaches and models

• How to convince stakeholders

• Practical tools

• Metrics-based governance

• Best practices

• Collaborative problem solving

• Get a plan, and a plan for making the plan happen

And also: • Fix all of my problems forever.

• World peace.

Questions?

What is Governance?

Content governance

provides a

framework for

content decisions,

roles, and,

responsibilities.

Project X

Process √√√√

Content Maturity Model1

What are we

trying to

achieve with

governance,

and why?

Content Process Maturity Model

Get a detailed version of this model here: http://www.contentstrategyinc.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Content-Strategy-

Inc-Content-Maturity-Model-2014.pdf

More

Effective

More efficient

Less risk

Happier people

People

The people who do the work, their roles

and responsibilities, and the skills and

experience that help them to do it well.

Success Metrics

How success is measured, and whether or

not the success of one group helps or

hinders the work of another.

Decision Making & Support

How decisions get made at every level, and

the tools that help people to make or

execute those decisions.

Processes

How the work gets done, and who or

what’s involved along the way.

Information Systems

The systems that people use to get their

work done.

What do we hear

from clients?

“This is so embarrassing. We’re the

worst.”

“But nobodynobodynobodynobody does it well, do they?”

“In some ways we’re managed and

sustained, and in other ways, we’re

ad hoc.”

What we heard

from you:

We have no

formalized process.

We have very little

content governance.

We’re a well-oiled

machine.

3 questions in

3 minutes

Where is your organization

on the maturity model?

What could

your

organization

do to move up

a level?

What could be the

positive business

impact of moving

up a level?

Learning Exercise

In groups of 4 – 6:

1. Discuss and

write answers

on poster

paper.

2. Put posters

on wall.

Reflection...Walk around and

have a look at

other posters.

Questions?

Short stories?

Content Governance

Models2

A governance

model is how

the governing

responsibilities

are assigned

and distributed.

CharacteristicCharacteristicCharacteristicCharacteristic ExplanationExplanationExplanationExplanation

Leadership How content strategic vision, direction, and oversight is

provided.

Ownership How accountability is assigned to make sure that

content aligns with vision.

Author distribution How authors are distributed in and between

departments.

Authoring roles How content roles are assigned and distributed. (Eg:

Subject expert, writer, editor, etc)

Approval process How approval roles are distributed throughout roles,

departments, and the content process.

Publishing rights How rights to use the CMS to create, edit, delete,

change, or publish content are assigned.

What are the governing

responsibilities?

There are 4 different models:

• Informal

• Centralized

• Decentralized

• Hybrid

Image adapted from Jason Mogus:

http://communicopia.com/insights/four-models-for-managing-digital

Advantages:

• Easy to identify

content champions

• Low cost

Disadvantages:

• Too many to list

Advantages:

• Strategic alignment

• Global consistency

• Quality content

• Content reuse and

repurposing

• Simplified project

management

• Skill building

• Accountability

Disadvantages:

• Needs considerable

staff and resources.

• Relies on process for

cross-functional

communication.

• Can form a

bottleneck if not

efficient and

responsive.

Centralized and decentralized models refer to

the reporting structure, not physical

distribution.

In a centralized model, writers can sit within

different product teams.

Important to note:

Important to note:

So that a

centralized

content team…

…can actually sit within multiple other teams.

Advantages:

• Harness the efforts of

many authors

• Costs and resources are

spread throughout the

organization

• Reduces content

publishing bottleneck

• Easier to publish and

update quickly

Disadvantages:

• Editorial and quality

control checks are

difficult to implement.

• Global and strategic

coordination is

difficult.

• Often, non-writers

need to acquire

content and CMS

skills.

Can be the best (or

worst) of both

worlds.

How do you decide?

Business goals

Maturity model goals

Organizational culture

Management style

Scalability

Ease of execution (readiness for change)

As content specialists, we often prefer the

idea of a centralized model.

It allows for maximum control over content

strategy, quality, and functionality.

BUT…

“A hybrid model works

best for us.”

What do we hear

from clients?

Let’s hear

from you.

What’s

worked?

3 questions in

3 minutes

What governance model is

your organization

currently using? How do

you know?

What governance model

would be most effective

for it to use, and why?

If those two

things are

different, what

are the obstacles

in changing

governance

models?

Learning Exercise

1. What are the barriers to changing

your content governance models?

Different group of 4 – 6.

Brainstorm & Discuss.

Use sticky notes, one idea per note:

2. What are the benefits of changing

your content governance models

Place your sticky notes on the wall,

in the Barriers and Benefits

sections.

Reflection… Think, pair, share.

Find a partner and tell

them the one most

significant barrier and

benefit for your

company.

Questions?

Short stories?

Roles & Responsibilities3

Open mic:

What roles are involved in content?

Titles are not roles

In practice, titles are often meaningless or confusing.

Ideally, titles should provide information about that person’s role.

Some content roles

Writer

Translator

Editor

Reviewer

Approver

Strategist

Designer

Information architect

Publisher

Photographer

Videographer

Project manager

Analyst

What happens if roles are not clear?

• Concern over who makes decisions

• Blaming others

• Out of balance workloads

• “Not sure, so take no action” attitude

• Questions about who does what

• A “we-they” attitude

• A reactive work environment

• Poor morale

• Don’t know where to go to get answers

How do you

assign roles?

Content roles are always

cross-functional.

Think outside

of the content

team.

It’s not justabout job role (or title!).

Consider skills, experience, interest.

What does the

job require?

Just a few writing-specific skills

Web writing

Marketing

Journalism

Technical writing

Creative writing

Blog writing

Business writing

Editing

Levels of

experience.

Junior

Intermediate

Senior

Management

Director

Interest

Passionate about what?

Decide and

communicate roles

RACI best practices: Responsible

One or more people need to be

responsible.

Things to think about:• If one person has many Rs, they may have more

work than they can handle.

• If one deliverable or activity has many Rs, can

tasks be more streamlined so team members

have more autonomy?

RACI best practices: Accountable

Ideally, only one person should be

accountable.

Things to think about:• If nobody is accountable, then there is a high

risk of not meeting project or strategic goals.

• For complex situations, there may need to be

more than one person accountable. This will

simply take longer to move through approvals.

RACI best practices: Consulted

Several people may be consulted.

Ensure two-way communication.

Things to think about:• Too many Cs lead to swirl and slow down the

process.

• Too few Cs can result in poor quality through

lack of accuracy or strategic alignment.

RACI best practices: Informed

Several people may be informed.

Communication only goes one way.

Things to think about:• If there are a lot of Is, find ways to inform people

in batches, at logical intervals.

• Develop a system (preferably automated) to

inform people.

A RACI can help at different levels

For example:

• Organizational content RACI

• Channel-specific content RACI

• Project-specific content RACI

Example:

Organizational content roles

Example:

Channel-specific content roles

Example:

Complex project content roles

Example:

Simple project content roles

What do we hear

from clients?

“Nobody wants to

give up control.”

“We don’t know

what anyone else does.”

“We’re all executers.

There are no leaders.”

3 questions in

3 minutes

Is there leadership and oversight?

Does everyone know what they’re

supposed to do?

Does

everyone

have the

skills and

support to be

successful?

Learning Exercise

Complete the RACI quiz

Use your work environment, or your

imagination + Oh My Kale Smoothie

Company (OMK) .

Share your answers and discuss with

a partner.

In different groups of 3 or 4:

Complete a RACI for a work scenario you’re

facing, or for this OMK scenario:

• Create 3 new web pages of step-by-step

instructions including photos and a video.

Tip: Tip: Tip: Tip: Take a look at the roles on the wall!

Questions?

Short stories?

Content Success Metrics4

What’s the point of it all?

Goals

energize

and align

people.

Think about

Governance success,

not content success.

Business goals

• Align with business strategies

• Align with other business processes

• Reduce costs

• Reduce time to publication

• Meet the needs of products, devices, or

technologies

• Improve employee engagement and

satisfaction

• Improve consistency of customer experience

Goals for

employee

success.

Employees want to:

• Do good work

• Feel ownership over their work

• Grow their skills

• Understand the bigger picture

• Enjoy what they do

• Enjoy who they work with

• Feel supported

Breaking it down

Success criteria needs to tie into a

solid business strategy and high-

level business goals.

Include:

• Business goals

• Employee goals

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Shape success criteria into specific,

prioritized performance goalsprioritized performance goalsprioritized performance goalsprioritized performance goals.

For example:

New content needs to be published 20%

faster than before.

Tip: Tip: Tip: Tip: Assign an owner for every KPI!

Metrics

Refine the KPIs into numeric, measurable

metrics.

For example:

• By year end, 80% of our content team will

be using the new processes.

• There is a 5% increase in employee

satisfaction scores from content

employees.

Benefits of KPIs and metrics

They allow:• Success to be assessed and celebrated

• ROI to be estimated

• Ongoing viability to be tracked

• Lessons to be learned

• A way to hold ourselves accountable

• A foundation for continuous improvement

Plan to communicate level of success

What do we hear

from clients?

“That’s a good idea!”

3 questions in

3 minutes.

What are

your

business

goals?

What are

your

employee

goals?

What are

some KPIs

and metrics

to support

your goals?

Learning Exercise

Group

question…

How many of you

measure content

governance success?

Questions?

Short stories?

Decision-Making

& Support5

Review:

What have you

learned so far?

“If you chose not to

decide – you have still

made a choice!”

Neil Peart

Who’s making

decisions

around here?

How do

decisions

get made?

Which decisions need to get

made?

From Lisa Welchman, Managing Chaos, 2015

Which decisions need to get made?

From Lisa Welchman, Managing Chaos, 2015

As content

strategists, we

most often look at

these things.

Open mic:

Which other content decisions are there?

Why create standards and

guidelines for decision making?

To make sure that decision making is:

• Based on strategic goals

• Consistent

• Scalable

• Learnable

• Sustainable

• Measurable

Which tools can support you in

making decisions?

A content

support tool

communicates

decision points

that have already

been made, or

provides strategic

guidance for

making ongoing

decisions.

Policies

Policies support decision making by

communicating company values or

mandates related to a specific area.

~ Dictionary.Reference.com

Create policies when:

• The actions of employees indicate confusion

about the most appropriate way to do things.

• Guidance is needed about the most suitable way

to handle various situations.

• Needed to protect the company legally.

• Needed to keep the company in compliance with

governmental policies and laws.

• Needed to establish consistent work standards,

rules, and regulations.

From: http://humanresources.about.com/od/policiesandsamples1/a/how_to_policy.htm

Policy example

All static web content needs to be

reviewed annually to ensure it

remains up-to-date, accurate, and

relevant.

Decision Trees

~ Wikipedia

Marcia Riefer Johnston

http://writing.rocks/how-to-write-a-sentence-infographic/

Decision

Trees

Create decision trees when….

• You need to understand the problem, the options,

and the outcomes.

• You need to fully analyze the possible

consequences of a decision.

• You need make the best decisions on the basis of

existing information and best guesses.

Content types & attributes

Content types share a common structure and

purpose.

Content attributes are the chunks of content that

make up the structure.

These support editorial and design decision-

making by defining specific page constraints.

Content type: Recipe

Content attributes of a Recipe

content type

Recipe name &

accreditation

Image

Social sharing

Introduction

Yield & cooking

time

Ingredients

User ratings

Ad

“From our friends”

external linking

Ad

Interactive tool,

calculator, survey

Content types & attributes:

In our world

Define content types and attributes when:

• You want consistency across similar page types.

• Content re-use is a current or upcoming priority.

• You are moving towards an intelligent content approach.

Style Guides

~ Hubspot

Use style guides when:

• You need consistency of style and usage across multiple pages or multiple authors.

Eliminates the need for authors to constantly make minor, often arbitrary, decisions.

BUT, make sure you have a maintenance plan!

Content Briefs

~ Colleen Jones, The Language of Content Strategy, 2014

And lots, lots more!

What decision-making

support tools do you use?

What do we hear

from clients?

“The squeaky wheel gets their

content on the home page.”

“We keep inventing the wheel

again and again.”

“We have a style guide. It’s on the

shelf. It’s outdated.”

3 questions in

3 minutes

Who’s making

decisions in

your company?

Which

content

areas need

decisions?

What content support tools can help

you make or act on these decisions?

Learning Exercise

Group exercise: Tool tables x 2

1. Each table has a different tool.

2. Choose a table.

3. Practice creating a decision-making

support tool for your company or Oh My

Kale Smoothie Company (OMK).

4. Share and discuss with your table team.

5. When we signal 20 minute mark, move to

one more table.

5 min: Personal

reflection…Write down, or just close your

eyes and think about:

- How this can apply to work.

- Tools to investigate further.

- Questions you still have.

Questions?

Short stories?

Content Processes6

In nature, we never see

anything isolated, but

everything in

connection with

something else.

Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe

How does it

all work?

What is a business process?

Process

Sub-process 1

trigger result

“A process is a collection of interrelated

activities, initiated by a triggering event,

which achieves a specific, discrete result.”

Sub-process

2

Sub-process 3 Sub-process

4

~ Alec Sharp, Workflow Modelling, 2008

Group activity

Form three process lines:

1. Trigger

2. Process

3. Result

Trigger Process

Result

Why formalize and standardize processes?

To:

• Align operations with business strategy

• Improve team and cross-team communications

• Increase control and consistency

• Improve operational efficiencies

• Make training faster and easier

Basically, so that people know what they’re supposed to do.

Strategize & plan content process

Design & create content process

Maintain content process

Evaluate content process

Detailed

processes

Lines of visibility: Lines of visibility: Lines of visibility: Lines of visibility:

Who does what

when they hold the

work.

Start high-level.

Provide more detail

as needed.

Start with

common

scenarios.

Define

alternative or

uncommon

processes only

as needed.

What do we hear

from clients?

“We don’t really follow any

organized process.”

(But they actually do!)

“Our team needs autonomy,

so they don’t want process.”

3 questions in

3 minutes

What business

problems can be

solved by better

content processes?

Which content processes are most

important in your work

environment?

Which variations or

sub-processes are

part of these

important processes?

Group exercise

Complete this process:

Design & Create Content

Roles within the process:

1. Content designer

2. Writer

3. Illustrator

4. Editor

5. Publisher

Group exercise

We’ll assign you each a role in a content process.

Watch your team-mates, but don’t advise or consult.

That’s not your role!

When we ring the bell, When we ring the bell, When we ring the bell, When we ring the bell, the Content Designer Content Designer Content Designer Content Designer will

open the secret sealed instructions.

There’s A PRIZE for the winning team!

Ready…. Set….


have a look at

other posters.

Questions?

Short stories?

Content Information

Systems and Workflow7

Basically, they’re technologies that

support people in getting work done.

Information Systems

~ Wikipedia

Some examples of content

information systems:

• Content management systems

• Data asset management systems

• Email

• MS Word

• Dropbox

Open mic:

What other information systems do

you use?

How do you know which are the right

systems to use?

It depends!On:

• Business and content goals

• Budget and resources

• Management and working style

• Use cases

Look for

opportunities to

consolidateand

integrate.

A workflow is how the work moves

within and between information

systems.

This includes both human/technology

interactions and automated processes.

Eg: CMS authoring workflow

Why formalize and standardize workflow?

To get all the same benefits as other processes, PLUS:

• Even greater reduction in cycle time

• Decreased human resource time, cost, and dependency

• Reduction of risks and delays caused by human error

• Improved and more efficient management

t4Simple CMS workflow

Complex workflow

How do you know if you need a

workflow?

• Employees need to share information

• Processes are complex and dynamic

• There are urgent priority processes (events)

• Quality is the highest priority

• Processes are recurring

• Processes change over time

When planning IS and workflows

Think outside

of the content

team.

What other

departments or

functions need to

be included?

Start high-level.

Provide more detail

as needed

Start with

common

scenarios.

Define

variations as

needed.

What do we hear

from clients?

“Email is our primary

communication tool.”

“Our systems don’t speak

to each other.”

3 questions in

3 minutes

What workflows

do you need to

define, and to

what degree?

Which functional areas

(departments) should be included?

What content problems

does your business have

that information systems

and workflow could help

with?

Learning Exercise

Workflow exercise in groups of 3 or 4

Refer to the handout: Workflow Group Exercise

Step Step Step Step 1:1:1:1: Complete the worksheet handout.

Step 2:Step 2:Step 2:Step 2: Using a large poster paper, design a workflow

and then post it on the wall.

Reminder:Reminder:Reminder:Reminder:

A workflow is a kind of process.

Think about Trigger > Process > ResultTrigger > Process > ResultTrigger > Process > ResultTrigger > Process > Result.


have a look at

other posters.

Questions?

Short stories?

Take 5

Reflect & Review

Nothing will

work, unless

you do.Maya Angelou

What We Said and What We Did


WE SAIDWE SAIDWE SAIDWE SAID ACTIVITYACTIVITYACTIVITYACTIVITY DELIVEREDDELIVEREDDELIVEREDDELIVERED

Methodologies to help you discover

the best governance model

Governance models –

4 approaches

YES

How to view content creation as a

cross-functional process, regardless of

your governance model

Content Pillars

Roles

Process

YES

How to identify the information

systems, guidelines, and processes to

best support you

Workflow

Information Systems

Process

Content tools

RACI

YES

How to identify where your

organization fits in the content

maturity model, and how to progress

Content maturity model

Content Pillars

YES


WE SAIDWE SAIDWE SAIDWE SAID ACTIVITYACTIVITYACTIVITYACTIVITY DELIVEREDDELIVEREDDELIVEREDDELIVERED

The difference between process

and workflow

Process

Information Systems and

Workflow

YES

How, why, and when to articulate

and communicate content

processes and workflows through

different types of diagrams

Workflow

Information Systems

Process

Line of Visibility

RACI

YES

How to integrate the five content

support pillars above, at every

step

Governance definition

Maturity model

5 pillars

Governance models

Roles and Responsibility

Content success metrics

Decision making and support

Process

Workflow and Info Systems

YES

Walk around the room.

Write down the questions you still

have about:• Content maturity model

• 5 pillars of content governance

• Content governance models

• Content roles and responsibilities

• Content governence success metrics

• Content decision-making and support

• Content processes

• Content information systems and workflows

Questions?

Managing Change8

“We cannot teach

people anything:

we can only help them

discover it within

themselves.”

Galileo Galilee

Common challenges

• Lack of resources

• Lack of cooperation or collaboration

• Lack of clear leadership and support

• Inability to set priorities

• Difficulty hiring skilled employees

• Lack of organizational maturity

Find an

internal

champion

How you’ll

recognize one:

Has authority

and passion.

What they’ll

do:

Get budget,

break down

silos, support

progress.

Start small.

Pilot projects and

bite-sized chunks.

Small wins.

Big voice.

Know your budget.

Grow your budget.

Know

your

resources.

Grow your

resources.

Create a

roadmap.

Q1Q1Q1Q1 Q2Q2Q2Q2 Q3Q3Q3Q3 Q4Q4Q4Q4

DefineDefineDefineDefine & & & &

ttttestestestest----drive:drive:drive:drive:

New

processes &

roles

CMS workflow

Success

metrics &

toolkit

Expand &

refine

Goal:Goal:Goal:Goal:

Select teams

& pilot

projects

Start

authoring in

CMS

Start

measuring

Roll out

throughout

organization

Educate & advocate

Roadmap

Take people

along for the

ride!

1. Practice content strategy

2. Demonstrate positive results

3. Provide tools and resources

4. Become expert content advisors

5. Advocate and educate

No control or authority?

Influence like crazy!

How?

Relative AdvantageRelative AdvantageRelative AdvantageRelative Advantage:

To what degree is an

idea perceived as better

than existing standard?

The Myths of Creativity: David Burkus

How?

CompatibilityCompatibilityCompatibilityCompatibility:

How much is the idea

an apparently logical

extension of the

status quo?


How?

Complexity (or Complexity (or Complexity (or Complexity (or

simplicity): simplicity): simplicity): simplicity):

How easily can

people understand

the changes?


How?

TrialabilityTrialabilityTrialabilityTrialability: : : :

How effortless it is for

the target group to

interact with the new

concepts or

experiment with

governance.


How?

Observability: Observability: Observability: Observability:

How noticeable are

the results.

The Myths of Creativity:

David Burkus

Prepare for change

http://www.octopus-hr.co.uk/hrmoz/article/the-neuroscience-of-change.aspx#sthash.9luchxSt.dpuf

Tips for communicating change

1. Communicate in person

2. Talk about emotions

3. Be as honest as you can

4. Talk in plain language

5. Talk from the heart

6. Understand their perspective

7. Be prepared for frustration

It is possible!

What do we hear

from clients?

People don’t want to give up

control

It’s hard to make time for

change

We’ve tried before, but we slip

back to our old ways

3 questions in

3 minutes

Who will be

your content

champion?

What

budget and

resources

do you

have to

work with?

How can

you get

people

excited?

Learning Exercise

Individual exercise.

Create a roadmap for yourself.

Refer to the Content Roadmap handout.

“The most difficult

thing is the decision

to act.

The rest is merely

tenacity.”

Amelia Earhart

Reflection…

Share with a partner the

one thing you’re

committed to doing next

week.

Wrap Up

“The best thing about

the future is that it

comes one day at a

time.”

Abraham Lincoln

What do we hear

from clients?

What do we hear from clients?

“The end product has helped us

through content development and

approvals in a fraction of the time

that it would normally take.”

~ BC Hydro


“Thank you. We now have a regularly

scheduled content meeting where we

share a common vision for content.

We’re on the same page.”

~ CFA Institute


“Having a defined process for

content has reduced frustration

and cost.”

~ Income Access

Things to do next week

1. Review these slides and your notes.

2. Identify one small step forward.

3. Take action!

4. Let us know what you did:

[email protected]

Books about processesOther resources

www.contentstrategyinc.com/content-governance

Thanks! Stay in touch.

@MelissaBreker

@Kathy_CS_Inc

ContentStrategyInc.com

content governance workshop confab 2015

Marketing

content strategy

content governance solutions

content decisions

content cobwebs

content maturity model1

content process maturi

achievewith governance

successful strategythe