The biggest thing slowing down your insight team
Client side insight teams are incredible things, balancing being tuned in with being objective; often shining a light on growth opportunities and fostering a company-wide culture of insight.
But sometimes they are shackled by feeling like they have to know everything. Being on top of every part of the business, every project detail, every data point.
We can argue it’s the nature of the beast, but it’s a very unsatisfying ‘default’ position - plus of course, unwinnable. Few individuals can truly do it all, and those who try are liable to burn out.
It’s possible to move on from it though. It starts by defining what you stand for – your brand proposition. Big brands do it, so why not also internal teams and individuals?
Defining a brand proposition is helpful to you and your stakeholders as it clarifies what you do, allows you to plan development activities, and gives you a better chance of playing to your strengths.
In other words it stops you needing to know everything.
We think it should contain:
- The areas of the organisation you support (and don’t support)
- The type of activity you do (and don’t do)
- The way in which you’re going to work with internal clients
- What you’re ultimately accountable for (your definition of impact)
- How you're going to be measured
Saying what you’re not going to do requires courage - potentially to close the only open doors you might currently be able to see. Perhaps what you want to offer isn’t what your internal ‘market’ is looking for.
So do it consultatively with internal and external input. Do it over time and evolve towards an ideal rather than change things overnight.
And once you have your proposition, like any good brand, be a true guardian of it.