CSForum Melbourne, October 2016. Transcript at: http://www.webcontentstrategy.com.au/taming-fiefdoms-collaboration-content-and-complex-stakeholders/ As content strategists, our work often involves trying to change the way an organisation does something—whether it’s by way of a new website, updates to navigation, a content review, or even implementing a governance model. And at the heart of change are people. Some who will be excited and ready to embrace what you’re doing, and some who will be harder to engage as they become protective of their patch of turf. Competing priorities, battles over budget, and plain old internal politics can be tough to manage, especially if you’ve got a project to deliver. This presentation looks at practical ways you can collaborate with complex stakeholders on your next content project. It will discuss different warning signs to keep your eye out for that could disrupt your plans, as well as offer tips for gathering stakeholder requirements, obtaining constructive input, and techniques for aligning different business groups to share a common vision.

1. TAMING FIEFDOMS
Collaboration, content and
complex stakeholders

3. Individual fiefdom
• Often feared
• Becomes roadblock
• Complex motives
• Driven by control
Group fiefdom
• Protective of turf
• Puts up walls
• Hoards data
• Driven by power

4. [Digital transformation]
…for much of your organisation
—particularly senior
management— requires the
acceptance of a significant loss
of control and power.
Gerry McGovern

5. THE MARKETING
FIEFDOM

6. Image carousels reveal internal
arguments, not information.
Wise words from Max Johns

9. THE MARKETING FIEFDOM
Signs:
Battles over home page, last
minute requests, secrecy over
projects, content production and
approval bottlenecks.
Impact:
A content team that’s reactive
rather than proactive, uncertainty.
Caused by:
Lack of a clearly communicated
vision (won't give up control
because they can't articulate
what should be there).
Collaborate by:
Facilitating a vision workshop &
communicating results.

10. THE TECHNOLOGY
FIEFDOM

11. The governasties.
Rahel Anne Bailie

12. • Marketing and technology
fiefdoms often battle over
technology.
• Traditional IT departments are
seen as slow moving and
difficult, stifling competiveness
and innovation.
• Conflict between waterfall
program offices and Agile
delivery teams.

13. Robert Rose’s framework
HIGH
needfor
flexibility
• Content / experience management
(Presentation – driven by interface, channel, audience)
MED
needfor
flexibility
• Engagement management
(Optimisation – driven by contextualisation, personalisation,
testing)
LOW
needfor
flexibility
• Core data management
(Content & knowledge repository – driven by standards,
scalability, availability)
LOW
need for
dependability
MED
need for
dependability
HIGH
need for
dependability
HIGH
need for
flexibility
MED
need for
flexibility
LOW
need for
flexibility

14. Low impact to
legacy systems
Rapid delivery
Close to customer
Low integra7on
Process-based
governance
Low investment
High flexibility
Low impact to
people & processes
Alignment exercise
High impact to
legacy systems
Tradi7onal delivery
Away from customer
High integra7on
Approval-based
governance
High investment
Low flexibility
High impact to
people & processes

15. THE TECHNOLOGYFIEFDOM
Signs:
Conflict between teams that want to
be nimble and innovative using apps or
technology and a traditional IT
department that is slow moving and
restricted.
Impact:
Slow speed to market, increased cost
of implementing content projects,
overkill on technology.
Caused by:
Risk aversive IT departments, trying to
use one piece of technology as the
solution for everything, one-size-fits-all
approach to technology in general,
Agile delivery vs waterfall programs.
Collaborate by:
Building trust with alignment exercise.
Understand how the enterprise works
together and be aware of the systems
you play with.

16. THE BUSINESS
FIEFDOM

17. • Land grab of people and
resources.
• Many content projects become
digital transformation in disguise.
• Business fiefdoms wary of
change.
• Understand money - Don’t be
afraid to talk money and
budgets.
• Show, don’t tell and make the
intangible, tangible.
• Bridge the gaps between Agile
projects and business as usual
(BAU).
• Upskill team members and build
in-house capabilities.

19. THE BUSINESS FIEFDOM
Signs:
Resistance to change, content
returned to a waterfall team after
Agile project delivery.
Impact:
Ineffective strategy
implementation, under resourcing,
poor governance and workflow.
Caused by:
Fear, uncertainty, lack of skilled
resources, digital transformation in
disguise.
Collaborate by:
Building trust and empowerment
through a strong communication
strategy, content toolkit, and
developing in-house capabilities.

21. THANK YOU

22. Sally Bagshaw
sally@snappysentences.com
@snappysentences