How and why to focus on getting initiatives and projects done for your media company

A few years ago when I was considering launching a consulting company, I started having conversations with friends and colleagues in the industry about the idea and one common need and request kept popping up over and over again:

Please, just help us get stuff done.

OK, the language might have been a bit more colorful than that, but you get the point. There was a strong desire to help get things across the finish line.

While strategic ideas and direction were definitely needed, ensuring that initiatives got implemented — and that they were successful — was job No. 1 for basically everyone I talked with. People didn’t want more fancy PowerPoints dropped on their desk. They wanted a plan and then wanted it implemented.

It didn’t really surprise me as I have been working on change management with editorial teams for more than 20 years and know how real the challenge is. Covering your community and also thinking about how you are going to launch a vertical video strategy at the same time is no easy task, as an example. But we’ve got to do it.

There was an urgency with those CEOs I spoke with two years ago and I’d say it’s even more pressing today. Every day I hear CEOs press for a project’s next step or wonder why something isn’t already done.

I think this has all ramped up because of how disrupted things are right now from AI to SEO to disabling third-party cookies. Leaders know that they have to act now, they need to have superstars who understand the digital landscape and they have to motivate their teams to move.

Here are a few things to share that I have picked up over the last two years as we have worked to get stuff done for publishers that I think work:

⏩ 1. Less talking and more action

While strategizing is absolutely critical, there comes a time when you have to stop pontificating and start acting.

One way to do that is to make sure you have clear goals in a meeting and never leave without specific next steps. Here is an example: 

We are going to discuss how and if we should launch this product. We will look at our latest audience and revenue numbers and everyone should read this report about the opportunity before we meet. We will determine in the last five minutes of the meeting if we need another session if we haven’t made a decision.

In addition, laying out the questions that have to be answered to get to a “yes” or “no” can be very helpful.

I can’t tell you how many employees share with me how frustrated they are because companies talk about an idea or do something like a reader survey and nothing ever happens. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to make sure the strategy is right and act. A lack of action will lead to unhappy employees that you’ll eventually lose.

⌛ 2. Make most meetings 30 minutes

Sixty minute meetings are too long. They really should be held for very unique situations, like a strategic session. Most meetings (like 95 percent of them) should be 30 minutes.

Agree what you can get done in 30 minutes and plow through the topics. It makes those in attendance more mindful about the information they have to share and should help avoid duplicate comments being made.

Look at your staff meeting, for example. Is there any reason that has to be an hour? What if you eliminated all of the updates from departments and had them in a document that people would review ahead of time? Pull one or two items out of those points for either discussion or a decision. It’s up to your team to read those notes if they want to be in the loop. It’s super efficient, creates accountability and makes your staff meeting much more useful for everyone.

The reason I think 30 minute meetings are so critical is that they advance initiatives. They really put pressure around getting to a solution at the end of the meeting. If you’re undecided at the end, OK. But the time period will push you to get as close as you can to a decision.

🚀 3. Perfect doesn’t exist; just launch stuff

No product is ever going to be perfect and just getting a MVP (Minimum Viable Product) out in the wild is what matters most.

You’ll learn much more by having a product live than in a prototype phase and you’ll get feedback from readers that will help you make changes.

Once you decide to do something (launch a product, change a process), agree what you need to have done to get it launched. It’s that MVP idea but be very specific about it. 

One idea that I like is doing a bad, good, great model for different aspects. If your rating is bad, it doesn’t launch, but good and great allow the initiative to move forward.

For example, if you are launching a new newsletter and don’t have the resources in place to make it a narrative-based one at the start, you might decide that starting with an automated RSS newsletter would put it in the “good” category, which would still allow it to launch.

👍 Bonus idea: Just say yes

Isn’t it easier to find reasons to say no to something? But when you say yes to an idea and then ask staff what else they could do to build on the thing you just signed off on, you have really engaged employees.

Saying yes — even if you personally aren’t 100 percent there — advances projects and builds confidence and champions with your staff.

Obviously, this is not a great idea with high-risk areas but it works quite well during brainstorming sessions.

There’s more about the idea of Yes … and here. It’s a much more effective way to manage than saying “Yes, But” or “Yes, Or.” The idea is that you build on what someone has said by saying “Yes, And” after someone comes up with an idea. It encourages brainstorming in a positive way and it works.

📧 We can help

Change management is hard but we have the experience of working with hundreds of editorial teams on implementing new products and processes and can help your team today.

Email me at david@davidarkinconsulitng.com