1.
How to Engage Your Team to
Create Powerful Content
Leigh Kendall
Communications Lead, NHS Horizons
Passle User Workshop
27 June 2019
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

2.
• We tune into the latest change thinking
and practice in healthcare and other
industries around the world.
• The team has emerged
through years of supporting
change in the NHS
and the wider
health and care
system.
• A small, diverse team of people within the
NHS that supports change agents and builds
change agency.
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

3.
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

4.
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

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@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

6.
• Good spelling and grammar is preferable
– though nearly perfect is better than no
content at all
• Short and sweet is better than War
and Peace (lots to write? Create
more posts!)
• Get ideas down first, worry about
structure later
• Pertinent information ‘above
the fold’
• Explain, link, don’t assume knowledge
Creating Great Content –
a few quick tips
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

7.
Creating Great Content
Think “so what, and who cares?”
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

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@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

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@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

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@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

11.
YOU are the
communications professional!
• Your content creators are likely to be experts
in whatever they’re an expert in – not comms
• Have confidence in your expertise and
experience
• Help identify opportunities
• Listen for stories!
• Don’t be afraid to give honest,
constructive feedback – connect to the
purpose (you’re helping them to look good!)
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

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@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

13.
Influencing
• Persuade, encourage – reflect on what might
motivate an individual
• Use coaching techniques – ask an individual
what their goal is, and work together to plan
how creating content can help them achieve
it
• Meet people where they are
• Find allies
• Be persistent, tenacious,
don’t give up!
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

14.
Invest time in training
• Creating great content is a
skill like any other – it
requires investment in
time and effort
• 1-1, group workshops,
co-creating, editing
• Make sure colleagues
understand the effort is
worthwhile!
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

15.
Give voice to staff at all levels
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

16.
Co-create
• Engage with colleagues to create,
together, a sign-off process that works for
you.
• Feedback, feedback, feedback.
• Communicate!
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

17.
How do you measure success?
• Metrics – reads and shares are important
AND
• Read by intended audience, someone
whom you seek to influence
• Gaining confidence in mastering a new
skill
• Led to a new contact, lead, opportunities
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

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@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

19.
Takeaway question!
How can your people turn an
understanding of your audience
in to an effective content piece?
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

20.
@leighakendall #Rainmaker19

21.
Thank You
@leighakendall @HorizonsNHS
leigh.kendall@nhs.net
horizonsnhs.com https://nhshorizons.passle.net/