Within the realm of blogging and social media for seventy8 Productions, I get to be the one that dreams of the vision, calls the shots, and puts it into action. The process from a great idea to implementation is simply limited by the amount of time I can put it together. It is great to see these dreams come to fruition and then to see them become successes.
A corporate digital marketing strategy is different. The process is not as streamlined. And not everything I think is a great idea actually gets made.
In my time so far with Youth for Christ, I have already had more than ten different projects be rejected, done a 180 degree shift in direction with implementation, or completed, only to be shelved. This can be a VERY frustrating process if not looked at right, but I want to help you with some things that I have learned in the process. (Note: Managers of your team, this is not for you. If you want some great advice on how to lead well, go read Seth Godin’s book “Tribes.”
Let the Wookie Win
It reminds me of the scene in Star Wars: A New Hope where R2D2 is playing Chewie in a space version of chess. R2D2 makes a great move and Chebacca gets upset, then C3P0 in robotic fear of being disassembled says the famous saying, “Let the Wookie win.”
[tentblogger-youtube ElZfE1AVDPQ]
The reality is that I am simply coming up with the best strategies that might fit for the ministry. They see the bigger picture and so when my project does not work out, I have to just let the Wookie win and keep dreaming.
How To Be Successful With Management
We do not guarantee that these steps will help you get your projects launched (in fact, we can guarantee much resistance), but instead how to successfully navigate with your management.
- Be The Expert, But Understand Their Mission
This is my tenth year with Youth for Christ, but even then, I needed to take the time to know what my supervisors were thinking was the mission of social media, blogging, and online marketing for the ministry. I had my ideas for how to make this a success, but they also were thinking big too. I wanted to see these accounts support current staff, volunteers, and donors, they wanted to make sure I moved towards future staff, volunteers, and donors. - Allow Them To See The Whole Story
If you have read Jon Acuff’s book Start, you read the section where you need to work on sharing your dream with people. You are passionate about your projects, but you need to ensure that you are taking the time to get them on board too. Push into it and sell it well. - Over Communicate To Avoid Hurt Feelings
While you will be communicating with your team, when they turn down your projects, your feelings might be hurt. Do not push that down because it will fester. The next time they say no, it will compound the problem. Your motivation will wane and it will hurt your moral. Instead, let them know your thoughts, ask them why they said no (graciously), and when you get their answer, let it go. - Keep Creatively Dreaming
You will hear no and you will probably hear it numerous times. Do not let that limit your dreams. If you hear no several times and have asked and dialogued why, you probably have a great understanding of what was holding them back. Keep dreaming and pitching ideas. Think outside the box with Instagram Videos, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Push back with new stuff and win them over.
Speak your mind...