Your IC Audience Authority Time Matters
You’re busy. It’s part of being an IC pro. I know how that feels.
So, when someone asked me, “How does the work I’ll do in IC Audience Authority fit into my day job?” I knew that my answer was one that I wanted to share with you, too.
Because I love coffee (my time on the Global Communications team at Starbucks just made that love stronger), let me explain my answer in coffee terms – one quick shot (because your time is valuable) and one tall latte (if you have more time).
The Quick Shot of Espresso
Over the next 90 days, you’ll spend an average of 2-3 hours a week on the program (though some weeks are less). You’ll leverage new, value-added time and leverage or repurpose some of your existing time at work. You’ll also save time. The savings are real (just harder to put a number on).
Three Steps, 8 Modules & Intentional Time Together
Here are some time estimates of some specific program activities:
Step 1 – 3 Modules (2 weeks)
Reading = 10 min/module
Coaching Calls = 1 hr/week (recorded if you can’t attend)
Step 2 – 3 Modules + Workshop (8 weeks)
Reading = 10 min/module
Coaching Calls = 1 hr/week (recorded if you can’t attend)
Hands-on Learning Activities = 1-2 hrs/week (the number of activities are based on your organization’s workforce and your role, so your time will vary)
Application Activities = ±1 hr/week (template tuning, information gathering, streamlining & writing)
Workshop = 90 min/workshop (recorded if you can’t attend)
Step 3 – 2 Modules + 2 Workshops (3 weeks)
Reading = 10 min/module
Coaching Calls = 1 hr/week (recorded if you can’t attend)
Workshops = 90 min/workshop (recorded if you can’t attend)
Time-Saving Program Benefits
IC Audience Authority will save you time:
Less Time at The University of Google and The College of YouTube
Increased Efficiency and Effectiveness
Better Project and Initiative Precision
More Informed and Prepared Internal Clients
Stronger IC Technology and Program Investments
Sound good to you? Enroll here.
If a quick shot wasn’t enough, here is more detail for you.
The Tall Latte
Value-Added Time – Some things may be new to you. But those new things are super helpful. These activities include:
Weekly Group Coaching Calls – Program sessions are laser-focused with a pre-planned agenda and time. Small-group sessions are focused on specific program topics and where students gain momentum, added insight and support to move forward with confidence. Have a time conflict? No problem. These hour-long, optional sessions are recorded for viewing when your schedule allows.
Focused Reading – The content of each module is broken into bite-sized learning nuggets that should take no more than 10 minutes to read. Yep. No massive text books or concepts to wade through.
Workshops – Three 90-minute program workshops are planned where you can learn from each other and your instructor as a group. Consider these sessions like a long lunch meant to nourish your brain and professional appetite. They’re also recorded for your later viewing if you can’t attend.
Leveraged Time – With each project and initiative you start, you learn about your internal audiences (yep, you do it every day). You’ve already built this time into your schedule. IC Audience Authority offers you an intentional structure and process to take that learning time to the next level. These activities include:
Hands-on Learning Activities – We’ve built a menu of learning activities to help you build a deeper understanding of the internal audiences in your own organization.
Discovery Activities: Many can be accomplished in less than an hour. A handful can take a little longer. These repurposed-time activities are distributed over multiple weeks so that they never overload your schedule. Also, you get to choose and only do those activities that make the most sense for you and your organization.
Applying-What-You-Learn Activities – We continually synthesize what we learn about our internal audiences into our work. We talk about what we learn in team meetings and in presentations to our leaders. We also write about what we learn in newsletters, on the intranets and other platforms. After interviewing experts and gathering information, you’ll translate your newfound knowledge into a streamlined and shareable guides about your audiences.
Time Savings – Everything you learn about your audiences sharpens the next message you create. IC Audience Authority is all about helping you gain and build on these efficiencies both for you and your internal clients.
Less Time at The University of Google and the College of YouTube –Instead of spending countless minutes looking for that the magical unicorn solution online, you can ask people who know you – your seasoned guide (me) and your peers in the program – how to create the just-right-solution in real time. You’re learning a repeatable process you can use again and again to move forward.
Increased Efficiency and Effectiveness – Your newfound expertise about your internal audiences will translate into less time asking fundamental questions and on-the-go learning. Having a deeper understanding of your internal audiences means you can capture what they need to be successful more efficiently.
Your starting place will be closer to what is relevant and important to that project. So, less time spent on guess check and refine and more effective time spent on targeted effort and action.
Project and Initiative Precision – When every leader, changemaker and project manager has a shared understanding of the audiences you champion, there’s less time spent figuring out what they need and more time spent building and delivering on that need. Planned projects and change initiatives will be more effective because everyone will have the same understanding of the delta between where an internal audience is and where they need to be to create the desired organizational momentum or result. This leads me to the next item…
Informed Internal Clients – When your internal clients and subject matter experts come prepared with the information you need to best serve your internal audiences, your work can become more efficient. They can bring with them an understanding of how your internal audiences like to receive information and what information matters most to them – when you proactively inform their projects with this strategic insight. This is about taking your expertise on the road and sharing the knowledge that is usually in our heads with the leaders, changemakers and project managers in the organization. This pre-priming of projects and initiatives is how creating shared understanding helps you and your organization become more effective.
Stronger Communications Investment – If you’re investing in an internal communications strategy, program enhancement or technology, exercising your deeper expertise of the internal audiences you serve will make that investment stronger. The increasing array of digital platforms is encouraging. There are more choices to connect in a method that is becoming increasingly important to the new workforce. But technology that promises great delivery can fizzle if the content and conversations don’t meet your internal audiences where they are at. Translating what employees need to be successful onto these platforms is a critical role of the IC pro. Being an Audience Matter Expert helps you invest well.
Okay, now that you’ve had an espresso and the tall latte (insert virtual caffeine jolt here), you’re ready to (en)roll.
Have any other questions? Comment below. You’re my priority.
On a side note, I’ve put a whole bunch of bonus offerings together to help amplify your impact and maximize your time. Check them out here.
Enrollment closes on Friday, April 2, 2021. The checkout cart will close at 5 p.m. Pacific. Click here to enroll.