Why Land O’ Lakes creates—then breaks—its internal content rules

Conversations about new communications channels tend to run along the following lines, says Juliana Wallace, who leads internal communications at Land O’Lakes.

Communicator A says, “Let’s have blogs—leader blogs. Leaders should blog.”

Communicator B replies, “Totally! Where should [the blogs] go?”

Wrong, wrong, wrong, Wallace says. The discussion should begin thus:

A: Let’s have blogs.

B: Cool. What for?

In other words, start by establishing a strategy, Wallace says in the Ragan Training talk, “Plan for the unplanned: How to make, then break, your intranet content strategy rules.”

“Why would you have a blog?” Wallace asks. “How does that fit your content strategy? How is that going to accomplish your goals?”

Rather than rush out a new communications vehicle, pause to strategize, Wallace says. “It’s really thinking about that ‘why?'” she says.