Here’s a simple technique to define each person’s role
On a recent family vacation, I decided to be flexible about our plans to keep the family peace. Three people choosing one itinerary is tricky. But flexibility isn’t always an asset when you’re planning to launch a marketing project.
Starting a website design upgrade triggers an avalanche of questions.
“What should be included in the hero section on the homepage?”
“What should we say in our “About Us” page?”
“What is the most important benefit to mention first on the product page?”
“What color should the call-to-action buttons be?”
Answering questions like these are examples of “micro-decisions.” That’s what my friend & marketer calls them. You make one micro-decision, then it’s on to the next one. These small decisions add up. The sum? A tower of a big decision.
You make multiple micro-decisions when you upgrade your website copy and design. Decision-making for one person takes time. You’re thinking and working through the options.
Imagine if 12 people were weighing in on each micro-decision?
You need to establish this BEFORE you begin the project
Early in my career as a freelance copywriter, I was writing copy for a nonprofit organization. The project was creating a new website. A committee reviewed my web copy. Comments from 12 people splattered on every page. Not from legal or marketing experts. Just committee members eager to help by commenting. And then they sent their feedback directly to me.
A comment storm hit me with no warning. How do I respond to 100+ comments from 12 people? Love this sentence. Like this word. Their edits were confusing and often contradicted one another. Shorten this sentence. Add this word. Delete this phrase. I like this phrase, leave it in.
Do I make the changes because John said so? Or Debbie? Most people reacted positively to Debbie’s suggestion, so do I leave the phrase in? Actually, who is John? Who is Debbie?
The problem was each person’s role was not clearly defined. And here’s the embarrassing part: I didn’t establish who has the final say BEFORE the project started.
I learned my lesson. I put a step in my process that prevents ambiguity on roles and responsibilities. It’s called the DACI. Swiped it from a project manager’s playbook and Copy School web copywriting course by Joanna Wiebe-Bain.
What’s the DACI?
The DACI is a project management tool for marketing projects that explains where everyone fits in the team. The DACI is where you chart the roles and responsibilities for the website design upgrade. (Or any marketing project with your team.)
For example:
Why use the DACI?
Because your team will discover:
- Decisions are made faster,
- The project stays on track.
- Tasks get completed effectively with every member’s voice heard.
- Project management runs smoother and quicker.
- Winning results! In this case, a company website design that meets your specifications.
What does D-A-C-I stand for?
D – Driver🏎️
🧑💼One person
Role description: The manager. She’s the doer. She is responsible for action and implementation. In a nutshell, she meets deadlines and achieves success. She works with the Approver to confirm each person’s role and responsibility.
A – Approver☑️
👩💼 One person
Role description: The person who has yes or no authority and veto power. She has final say. She signs off on the best work. Her approval stamps the project “Done!”
C- Contributors👩💼🧑💼
🧑💼👩💼🧑💼Multiple people
Role description: All contributors make the project happen with excellent contributions based on special skills / knowledge. Each person gives valuable input, expertise, or information to support the project.
They provide valuable input, expertise, or data to support decision-making. Web designer, web developer, graphic designer, photographer, blog writer, and, of course, web copywriter (me!) work collaboratively.
I – Informed📋ℹ️
🧑💼👩💼🧑💼Multiple people
Role description: They weigh in if any part of the project may affect their work. One-way communication. People in the informed role are “simply in the know.”
Why I wished I used the DACI framework when I started copywriting
The saying, “Many hands means light work,” sounds like everyone is sharing the workload. But from my personal experience, the saying didn’t hold true.
Without a framework like DACI, there are potential pitfalls of group work:
- Lack of action – someone assumes another team member is responsible for a task
- Confusion about each person’s role – which encourages frustration among the team
- Two or more people doing the same task — leading to extra work for those individuals
- Lack of progress and the project stalls – time’s wasted in meetings trying to get the group back on track
- Creating “reply all” quicksand – extraneous communication to people who don’t need to know the info
The DACI framework is especially useful if project members involved are remote, work as freelancers or new to working with you.
By getting agreement on the DACI, you:
- Define everyone’s role
- Explain the decision-making process
- Clarify expectations
Open Discussion:
- What’s your favorite vacation spot?
- How do you decide the trip’s itinerary when you travel with others?
Post your comments below
About Shannan Seely
B2B and Healthcare Digital Copywriter 📝 | Website, landing pages and email copy expert