Your team is divided on branding and campaign ideas. How do you unite them towards a successful strategy?

To unite your team in a scenario like this, it is pertinent to fully understand the needs that must be addressed both internally and externally. Pay great attention to each team member's opinions and point of view comparing it with your target market and teeming population generally. By this assessment, you get everyone to agree and clarify objectives effectively. Ensure that you communicate to the team the importance of everyone's opinions and why the final decision is a proactive strategy to get the job done.

This is incredibly simple: it is not what you or your team wants, it is 100% about the audience you are communicating to and your budget. As simple as this logic can be, so many companies suffer from the internal tango where strategy goes out the window in favour of passive aggressive "sensitivities" and fear of upsetting a peer or fear of speaking up. Look at the data, anonymous surveys, and agree on strategy. Once you "guide" your team in this direction, they will let go of the opinions that do not make sense and are being coveted because they are individual contributions. What is important, is to be nice. People are people and unique. So, listen before taking action on the above. Strategy first then sketch out the plan.

If you are targeting multiple segments it can be fun to form a small committee per segment and elect a SME to lead each. This way, you are achieving a few things per the exercise: recognising potential leadership skills, gaining deeper insights per segment and assigning accountability with less micro management. I recall forming a small Financial Committee at one project to target the segment that was making money for the organisation. We held weekly meetings, made plans, assigned budget, selected events, shifted some items and remained flexible. It worked so well. We were then able to join with the other committees to contribute to an overall plan for PR and annual spend.

Communication in business is not complete without feedback. In order to communicate successfully, you really need transparency and accountability with assigned expectations. I see startups to series a companies suffer without a proper org chart. Once again, sensitivies and egos get in the way and nobody really wants to "rock the boat." In larger organisations, the org chart is extremely important and coveted by Human Resources and leadership. With a proper alignment of roles, goals and expectations, people will feel valued and have 100% transparency of how to grow based on expectations and how to earn more money. Org chart! Try it out, it works.

Look for ways to incorporate different perspectives, whether that's inviting someone that might not normally come to the meeting or hiring someone with unique experience or expertise; they can help bring ideas to the table that you might not have otherwise had.