Archives February 2019

Teamwork and brainstorming concept with businessmen seated around a table each pointing to cards with colorful sketches of light bulbs conceptual of bright ideas and solutions arranged in a circle.
Collaboration: Building Shared Vision in Your Organization

Teamwork and brainstorming concept with businessmen seated around a table each pointing to cards with colorful sketches of light bulbs conceptual of bright ideas and solutions arranged in a circle.It can sound a little harsh, but it’s true. We live in a “what’s in it for me” society. This mindset is at the core of benefits marketing, where marketers need to be very conscious (and communicative) about what the benefit of their product or service is to their target market. However, what some leaders can overlook is how they can apply benefits marketing concepts inside the organization to create shared vision and, as a result, forward momentum.

Shared vision = shared results.

When a leader can build shared vision and specific benefits around a project goal, the buy in increases productivity, momentum, and passion behind the project. In essence, it gets done easier, faster, and better because people see why the project matters to them.

This was highlighted in one of our recent projects in state government. A grant directive was passed down with a short timeline. Although the grant was provided, no succession plan was in place for this great bit of public health communication that was being developed. What Works Consultants worked with the interested internal stakeholders to determine who needed to be involved. More than that, we researched what mattered to each of these stakeholders to develop benefits-driven shared vision for the project. The result: Everyone sees “whats in it for me” and they are bought into the project.

Are there places in your organization where your projects are stuck? Maybe they don’t move as quickly because they lack shared vision.

Here are some quick tips to develop shared vision and get things flowing.

  1. Have a meeting of the minds: Take the time to sit down and discuss the challenges, aspirations, and goals of the people who you would like buy in from. This will show you “what’s in it for them” in regard to your project.
  2. Assess their position: Will they be involved, kept informed, uninvolved, or perhaps they are a supporter who can provide ideas and open doors?
  3. Enlist in their role: Once you see their role, gain buy in on time commitment and responsibilities. Set process around how they prefer to be communicated to and commit to fulfilling your communication promise.

Building shared vision can lead to great collaboration. Do you need help doing this within your organization? Set an appointment to connect with us!

 

Project Management Tips
Project Management: Are you biting off more than you can chew?

You have a grand idea, product, service, event, or project to pull off. Everyone is excited. You have a project to manage. But there’s a problem. Project management has always created problems for you. How can you assure you are not biting off more than you can chew? How do you set yourself up for success by making a project manageable to begin with?

  1. Tent Pole Project: This is the big project. It usually has a firm deadline or drop dead date associated with it. There is some sort of clear consequence tied to not meeting this date. The date is firm and is usually controlled by something outside of yourself (even if that something is just a pressure to get it done).
  2. Sub Project: These are time sensitive projects that exist within the tent pole project. They might be a little more movable in deadline than the tent pole project itself. However, too much movement on a sub project and the outcome of the tent pole project can be put at risk. Example: You are attending an event, but you need to reorder your business cards because you are out.
  3. Milestone: Tent Pole Projects can be milestones if they are under a larger tent. For example, I have a client who is speaking at a TedX Event. This event is one project inside a larger tent pole of a direct to consumer toy industry product launch. The TedX Event is a milestone for her. The development of her web site as well as the manufacturing of the product are also milestones until this major tent pole project of the direct to consumer campaign.

Project Management Tips

Then, you need to get real.

Where leaders get hung up on this in the perception of time and what can be realistically achieved in a time frame. This is where it helps to have a clear handle on start dates, completion dates, project types, costs, and responsible parties. Business will do its thing and interfere with your projects. Knowing where you are in your timeline will help you manage expectations and set yourself up for success as your project moves along.

Need help?

Do you need project clarity? Do you feel stuck? We may be a fit for you. Depending on the size of your project, one consulting hour with us could save you millions. Contact us to receive a 30 minute complimentary consultation to see if we can help.