Bear Essentials: Stop Asking Writers To Be Strategists
Perception
You think writers “should just know” the strategy. Or that they can “figure it out” as they go because, you know, they are smart and creative.
Reality
That assumption is setting them up for failure.
Without a doubt, they are smart and creative. Psychic they are not. They can’t reverse-engineer an undocumented, unspoken strategy.
Dumping everything–strategy, ideation, messaging, and execution–on one person likely results in a watered-down version of what it could have been.
You hired a writer, not a unicorn. So, just let them write.
Why It Matters
- Writers often get stuck in ideation at the expense of focusing on execution.
- Strategy is fuzzy at best, and outputs are generic.
- Teams feel overloaded, quality of outcomes becomes inconsistent.
What Most Teams Get Wrong
- Asking “write this” without a defined strategy that outlines at least who the audience is, why the content matters to them, and how success will be measured.
- Defining and governing who on the team is responsible for setting direction versus execution.
- Expecting every content creator to inherently know and lead the defining of the audience, metrics, and channel for every piece they are assigned to write.
What to Do Instead
- Define distinct roles: Strategist, Planner, Creator.
- Make sure the strategist creates a detailed brief before assigning work.
- Let writers focus on crafting and execution.
Seventh Bear Take
One person can’t wear every hat. Define roles, then do the work right.
Deeper Dive
Want more on this topic? Check out: Practice vs. Insanity; it’s a matter of perspective.
