Use this story about perceptions and relevancy to think about the way you tell your team’s story inside the organization.
I worked with a big staff section that had a nebulous “integration” or “synchronization” role. I can’t recite all their responsibilities but they had a lot of people who seemed busy.
Their work space wasn’t ideal – they were spread across several small offices on a couple different floors. “If only they had enough space,” one might say. So they were working on an expensive, years-long renovation project to create a great big open office for all their people.
In the organization-wide reports and briefings I saw, this section often updated senior leaders on the renovation’s status: delays in such-and-such construction project; contract approvals; whether or not their furniture was ordered; when and how they’d be moving. Over time, I heard a lot about the renovation.
Once complete, the office was pretty nice. Glass white boards lining the walls; neat rows of power-rising standing desks; small stations with seats, TVs and toys for team brainstorming sessions.
The office was also vacant.
Literally the same month their office was completed and furniture installed, the staff section was disbanded. Leadership positions and teams were folded into various other sections like security, resourcing, and IT.
I wasn’t part of this team, so can’t speak with authority about their conditions.
However, I often wonder if the team would exist today had their leaders spent more time communicating about the tangible things they were doing to support the mission.
Is your public affairs team building any vacant offices?
(Photo by Master Sgt. Mike Smith, DVIDS)
