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