Here’s how this could work, which we can
always customize to your specific needs.

Step 1: Understanding Your Communications Questions and Challenges

The first step is a basic discovery process, where I get a better sense of what you are looking for and specifically where you are looking for change.  This is typically done through a combination of individual and group interviews via phone or Zoom video calls.

I am also seeking the underlying questions that you are hoping to resolve. Here are some examples of the types of questions that often surface during this kind of consulting arrangement:

• Are you seeking changes to the pace or volume of communications, the mix of communications channels, and other decisions you’d find in an editorial calendar?
• Are you seeking changes to the content creation and approval process, including who does what and when? And who gets to review and approve that work?
• Where is there doubt, stress, or conflict about the current way that communications work gets done?
• Are there assumptions that need questioning or validation?
• Where is FOMO (fear of missing out) at work?
• Are there other trust or control issues at work?

Step 2 (Optional): Reviewing Current Communications Work Products 

I can provide an unbiased review of what you are doing now compared to best practices. I’ll share feedback verbally during an online meeting. Please note that I do not provide written reports.

Step 3: Decision Making on What’s Needed, Including Specific Strategic and Planning Documents 

There is no single master document or process that covers everything. It’s really a collection of documents and processes, with varying levels of breadth and depth on goals, strategies, objectives, and tactics. I am happy to provide more details on the various options, but they include strategic plans addressing the big questions of audience, brand, and messaging; big picture communications timelines; content creation, review, and approval workflows; creative briefs; campaign plans; editorial calendars and more. You likely need to create some but not all of these from scratch. I won’t ask you to create a document that’s never looked at again — everything the team creates will be referred back to regularly or used day to day.

If you are seeking a more focused coaching relationship on how one or more people work together to produce effective communications, our time together will more likely be spent on helping you make better and more confident decisions, building trust and skills, and/or streamlining internal processes and communications, rather than on creating documents.

Step 4: Working Through Key Decisions and Building Needed Documents

Once we know exactly what you need to create, we will begin asking and answering the necessary questions to build the documents or the new process. I will provide outlines or examples to guide staff as we go.  We will most likely talk weekly during this stage of the process to ensure that the team stays on track.

Step 5: Wrapping Up with Next Steps

We’ll close with a discussion of recommended next steps. This will likely include leadership practices, team growth and structure, and ongoing staff professional development.