How can you keep your writing team focused on the big picture?

1 Communicate the purpose

The first step is to communicate the purpose of your project clearly and consistently. Why are you writing this article, report, or book? Who is your audience? What is your main message? How does it fit into the larger context of your organization, industry, or field? Make sure your team understands the answers to these questions and how their individual contributions support the purpose. You can use different tools and methods to communicate the purpose, such as a project brief, a mission statement, a storyboard, or a mind map.

2 Set SMART goals

The next step is to set SMART goals for your project and your team. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These criteria help you define what you want to achieve, how you will measure your success, what resources and skills you need, how your goals relate to the purpose, and when you will complete them. SMART goals help you keep your team focused on the big picture by breaking it down into manageable and meaningful milestones and tasks. You can use different tools and methods to set SMART goals, such as a project plan, a Gantt chart, a Kanban board, or a checklist.

3 Provide constructive feedback

The third step is to provide constructive feedback to your team throughout the project. Feedback is essential for improving your team's performance, enhancing their skills, and ensuring their alignment with the purpose and goals. However, feedback can also be detrimental if it is vague, negative, or inconsistent. To provide constructive feedback, you need to be specific, positive, and timely. You need to focus on the strengths and weaknesses of your team's work, not their personalities. You need to praise their achievements and suggest ways to improve their challenges. You need to give feedback regularly and promptly, not just at the end of the project.

4 Encourage collaboration

The fourth step is to encourage collaboration among your team members. Collaboration is the key to creating a cohesive and coherent project that reflects the big picture. By collaborating, your team can share ideas, insights, and perspectives, learn from each other, and solve problems together. Collaboration also fosters a sense of belonging, trust, and accountability among your team. To encourage collaboration, you need to create a positive and supportive team culture, facilitate effective communication and coordination, and provide opportunities and tools for collaboration. You can use different tools and methods to encourage collaboration, such as a shared workspace, a chat platform, a peer review system, or a brainstorming session.

5 Celebrate achievements

The fifth step is to celebrate achievements with your team. Celebrating achievements is a great way to acknowledge your team's hard work, appreciate their efforts, and motivate them to keep going. Celebrating achievements also helps you reinforce the connection between your team's actions and the big picture. By celebrating achievements, you can show your team how their work contributes to the purpose and goals, how it impacts your audience and stakeholders, and how it adds value to your organization, industry, or field. You can use different tools and methods to celebrate achievements, such as a thank-you note, a recognition award, a testimonial, or a party.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?