Bear Essentials: Content Intake Isn’t Bureaucracy, it’s the Cheapest Form of Sanity
Perception
You think a content intake form and process slows things down. Think it adds unnecessary friction. You don't implement or enforce one in the name of “agility” or “to be collaborative.”
Reality
Skipping intake doesn’t make you nimble or agile, it makes you reckless and unorganized.
The team is drowning in random acts of content. Not because there are no other options, but because you refuse to control the faucet. If everything gets in, nothing gets prioritized.
Intake isn’t bureaucracy. It’s the difference between running a system and surviving (or not) one. A proper intake process isn’t red tape; it’s a guardrail and compass.
Why It Matters
- Without a formal intake process, you’re firefighting requests all day, everyday, from every which way.
- You can’t prioritise or resource effectively because you don't have line of sight into what is being worked on, what is coming down the pipe, or where requests are coming from.
- Quality and speed both suffer.
What Most Teams Get Wrong
- Treating intake as optional.
- Letting requests bypass the workflow.
- Not reviewing intake data for patterns/trends.
What to Do Instead
- Create a simplified but singular intake form for all content*, with key fields being mandatory to submit the form.
- Set up auto-reply emails to requesters to keep them up to date on the status of request
- Review intake weekly, decide what enters the pipeline.
- Report on request trends to leadership.
Seventh Bear's Take
Intake isn’t optional. It’s foundational for scalable content operations, and essential to content orchestration.
Want more on this topic? Check out: Its Sink or Swim in the Deep End of the Tech Enablement Pool
