Power Play

The term “power play” stems from the sports world. I have a personal sports background so it seemed natural to use the analogy. You can learn more about a wonderful honor I received this past October pertaining to my collegiate athletic career.

For those unfamiliar with the term, power play is intended to add to the excitement of the game and is advantageous for those given the power.  In such, it slows the game down in a sense and allows those in power to regroup.

Today I sat in on a four-hour (yes friends, you read that correctly) meeting about the Marketing and Communications Department Business Plan. This was totally a power play. As I looked around the table all the power players were in the game. In an effort to slow down their day-to-day movements, this power play meeting gave those in attendance a holistic overview of their 2014 business plan.

The plan was presented in a stop light approach, meaning that those heading each initiative shared why the status was a go, slowly moving (caution) or stopped. This approach helped both those in attendance and their team members who report to them. Everyone benefited from a full understanding of all the “plays in the book” and the strategy and tactics employed to reach each objective.

In addition to an industry overview, high-level discussions took place to work though cross-functional components specific to individual initiatives. One of the social team’s initiatives includes workshops called McLearn (I asked where McLearn came from too…Marketing and Communications = Mc).

Some of the initiatives in the McLearn program included media relations and on-camera skills, budget and forecasting, business intelligence, financial literacy and social media and writing skills. I am very excited to help the social media team and the McLearn program with my workshop on writing for social media.  How appropriate for the professor to help with their learning initiative?!

When a team scores during a power play it is said to be “converted.” Renewed, transformed and improved are all synonyms for converted. These words help to describe the business plan meeting that occurred today. Those who have been given power at FPL converted during their power play. I am honored to be part of the team, even if it is only for two weeks!