My husband and I are massive fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That’s why he stalked the Alamo Drafthouse website to make sure we had prime seats for opening night of Infinity War. After investing ten years and too much time repeatedly watching the 18 preceding movies, we weren’t going to risk having Infinity War spoiled by a careless headline or social media post.
I’ve been captivated by the Marvel Cinematic Universe since I first saw Iron Man ten years ago. Much of my fascination can be attributed to the consistent quality of the movies and the relationships I’ve developed with the characters over the past decade. No surprises there. Afterall, who doesn’t like Tony Stark or Captain America? My interest in the MCU though extends beyond the approximate 120-minute run times. The business nerd in me gets giddy thinking about the overall vision, strategy, and process of the studio.
Time and again, Marvel has delivered a quality product. Sure, some movies have been better than others. But overall, I’ve never walked out of a theater disappointed. There’s been a consistency that is difficult to pull off with something that isn’t meticulously manufactured. And while people may argue Marvel movies are meticulously manufactured because they’re formulaic, there have been variables. Different directors. Different writers. Different actors. Different scores. Different individual visions and executions. That’s why Iron Man feels different from Captain America, which feels different from Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor Ragnarok. What’s amazing to me is that despite these differences, each clearly feels like it’s part of a coherent universe. Maybe it’s a callback to a previous event. Or a cross-over character. Maybe it’s the tone. Maybe it’s the opening sequence or the post-credit teaser. Whether there is one reason or a hundred reasons, each movie feels like it is related to the other 18.
Why is Marvel Studios able to do this? First, it’s impossible to think Marvel Cinematic Universe and not immediately think Kevin Feige. He’s the master architect. If nothing else, he’s responsible for protecting and evolving the universe – and has been for a decade. Clearly, he can’t do it alone and has seemingly had great teams in place to help with this charge. Teams that are aligned with the larger studio vision. Teams that feel responsible for their characters and stories. Teams that communicate. That don’t operate in isolation. That look across the universe and understand how they fit into the larger whole.
Second, they plan. The MCU was built in phases. Each phase had multiple stories and characters. Each movie created a new experience for the audience. And each new experience strengthened the relationship between the audience and the studio. It’s been cumulative. You can’t get to Infinity War – and everything that goes along with it – without the 18 movies that precede it. If Marvel hadn’t invested in the characters and considered how the stories connect, there is no Infinity War. Now, that plan needs to allow for some variables (like not being sure if you’re going to get the rights to Spiderman), but you’ve got to have a game plan for where you want to go.
Why am I writing about all of this when I’m trying to focus on HR comms and employee engagement? I promise there’s a connection.
In my experience, HR tends to operate in silos. At large companies, there are lots of different HR silos: benefits, learning and development, recruiting, etc. My experience across clients has been that benefits doesn’t necessarily know what L+D is doing. Neither may know what recruiting is up to and so on and so forth across the different teams. The thing is though, employees don’t see these silos. They see HR. One HR.
That’s why it’s so important for HR to think of itself – and operate – as one team. Like the MCU, each silo can have it’s own characters and storylines, but they need to be related and support each other because they all exist within the same universe of employee experience.
So how does HR make sure that it’s delivering one consistent experience, no matter which team is taking the lead?
First, HR needs to be clear on its vision. This includes defining how it wants to be perceived by the business and how employees should experience HR. Once that has been agreed upon, the vision needs to be clearly communicated across all levels of HR and championed at every opportunity.
Second, each HR team needs to understand how and where it fits within the overall vision. Just like Infinity War needed dozens of characters, histories, and experiences to make it work, so does HR. Each team plays an important role in the larger narrative. Because of this, each HR team needs to own its story and characters, but understand they’re only as good as the sum of the parts.
Third, HR needs to collaborate. Each team needs some level of awareness about what other communications, key messages, and themes are being delivered to employees. A new employee training program should absolutely feel like it exists within the same universe as the annual enrollment experience. In order to do this, knowledge and learnings need to be shared across silos.
Fourth, HR needs someone who has their eye on the big picture and can see the forest through the trees. This person is less concerned with the minutiae of how things get done but instead focused on making sure the experience and execution are aligned with the overall universe. This person looks at all the pieces, understands how they fit together, and makes sure they all support a common set of goals.
Creating an experience that repeatedly connects with your audience, year-after-year, doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a well-defined vision. It requires a team and individual players who are committed to building that vision, using the tools and stories and characters available to them. It requires a master architect to help make sure the individual pieces build towards the overall vision and goals. By having these players and pieces in place, it’s possible to create one coherent universe.
Photo by Elijah O’Donell on Unsplash