Space to Village: AFC Championship Edition

How this historic NFL playoff score can inspire versatility in your own skills

Celebrating three years at P&G - and going for the championship!

Must read from The New York Times: Inside the Cincinnati Hospital Where Damar Hamlin’s Life Was Saved

Who Dey!

One of the most remarkable football plays (recently and in NFL playoff history) was the 98-yard touchdown return by Cincinnati Bengals ’ defensive end Sam Hubbard.?

What a play! And if you don’t watch football, here’s the synopsis from Sports Illustrated :

With the game tied at 17, the Ravens looked to break the stalemate on third-and-goal with 11:54 remaining in regulation. Quarterback Tyler Huntley attempted to reach out over the goal line to break the plane, but had the ball knocked out of his hands by Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson and into Hubbard’s waiting arms. From there, Hubbard turned on the jets and took the ball 98 yards downfield for a massive go-ahead touchdown to give the Bengals the lead.

Here’s video of the play ICYMI.

As a Bengals fan, of course I was blown away by this play that secured our place in the playoffs.

But in the weeks since the game, I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind because I’m still blown away by the versatility and preparedness that Sam demonstrated in that play.?

While Sam is a defensive end and I can only guess trains daily to be the best player he can be in that position, when the opportunity arose, he pivoted with lightning speed and transformed in nanoseconds into a running back, hoofing down the field to make this game-changing and historic play.

It got me thinking: for those of us who work in communications have many versatile skills but we often work or “train” for one specific angle of the work. In order to be communications leaders, we need to make sure we’re not only strengthening our muscles and training for the work we do today, but also grow our skills to be ready for the moment when we need to deliver another type of skills.?

What’s one thing you can do to grow your communications skills this week?

If you’re a speechwriter or write long-form, try drafting your content into some tweets (they never see the light of day - the idea is to strengthen your ability to write short). Get some tips from Sprout Social, Inc. :

If you work in earned media, read up on the trends and opportunities with owned strategy especially search engine-optimized content and paid search. (Note: I’m firm in my belief that a strong SEO strategy complemented by paid will bolster even the most robust earned media strategy). More from HubSpot :

If you work in digital, take a crack this week at writing long-form, like a speech you would deliver on a topic or an outline for a presentation. In other words, if you’re a sprinter, complement your training with some long runs.?

Just like Sam Hubbard, you never know when your highly honed skills in one position may be obsolete in a critial moment. And if you keep your skills sharp, you’ll be ready to go for that game-winning play!?Check out more pictures of the amazing play from WLWT :

My P&G Anniversary

This week I celebrated my three-year anniversary at 宝洁 . I’ve learned so much as I transitioned from a career mainly in government and campaigns to working in communications for an 180-year-old company.?

I take Year Three seriously. Now, before you think this is an unflattering example of me tooting my own horn, hang with me here. For those who are new to leading comms teams (as I was at P&G), I think there’s a lot to learn from the college football coach experience The New York Times describes in this story.?And the fact is, the first three years are incredibly important, whether you're going for a national title or making a name for your company in your industry.

Year One

When building a comms or a football program, Year 1 is about assessing the talent on the team, making sure people are “in the right seats on the bus” - in other words, are playing in positions where they can have the most impact while also bringing out their personal best. It’s a year of recruiting and instilling an esprit de corps that builds mutual respect. Identify the tools, talent, data and other needs you need, and then ask for them.?

Year Two

Building on the foundation created in Year 1; thinking about where you need to be good and where you need to be great. Build on that culture of productivity and excellence. Remember, feedback is a gift; seek it out, share it, look for it continually through data, qualitative and quantitative.?

Year Three

Win your championship. In comms maybe this is going for an internal team award, or an industry award like a Webby. Year 3 is when this all should be coming together and the team is firing on all cylinders: in a cycle of continual improvement, earning short-term wins in terms of impressions or engagement that lead to long-term wins in terms of sentiment, share of voice, sales or other measures. In Year 3, you should have done so much work building the talent of your team that others are wanting to siphon your talent to their teams.?

This past week, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval presented the medical team at University of Cincinnati Medical Center with a key to the city. Story from Casey Weldon

Must Read from 纽约时报

I started my morning this morning watching this powerful video from Buffalo Bills' Number Three Damar Hamlin. Wishing you all continued healing and success, Damar!

Next week, I'll have more "space" in this newsletter. Till then, #WhoDey!

Thanks for subscribing. If you like this newsletter, please share to your feed. I always love hearing from folks, so please leave your comments below!