Building a Content Team That Leads

1 Problem

The content function was staffed by content managers focused on production and publishing — not yet operating as strategic UX partners. A team distributed across the US, Poland, and Singapore needed structure to stay cohesive, grow individually, and earn a seat at the table with design, product, and engineering rather than being brought in at the end of the process.

2 Approach

I treated team building as a discipline in its own right, not a byproduct of getting the work done.

• Ran structured quarterly conversations and performance feedback tied to a defined set of UX competencies, so growth and promotion criteria were clear at every level.
• Established weekly "Messaging Review" round-robin sessions across time zones, giving all 8 team members a standing forum for editorial consistency and peer feedback.
• Funded continuing education and sent the team through outcome-focused training, including Nielsen Norman Group's UX Executive Training.
• Built recognition into the team's culture with a running bit that stuck: the Quarterly "Sock Monkey" Award, given to whoever went furthest beyond the role that quarter — alongside more formal recognition like "Power of Partnership" nominations.
• Pushed the team to build external visibility, presenting content-first work at UX Checkpoints, Design Reviews, and Program meetings — 35+ presentations in a single year.

3 Result

Employee satisfaction scores rose 23%, and the team earned a stakeholder Net Promoter Score of 70 — a strong signal that partners across design, product, and engineering saw the content team as a genuine strategic asset, not a production queue. Despite being spread across three regions, the team became known as one of the most cohesive groups in the org. Individually, team members grew from content managers into skilled UX writers with real ownership of strategy, governance, and craft.