As anyone who has spent much time with me knows, I’m a certified sports nut. I will catch a game whenever possible.  I might be at the game, could be watching on television, or could be reviewing old tapes of games (Yes, I am that geeky when it comes to sports.) This is especially true of football and enjoy finding any chance to weave that into my work. However, this one isn’t a stretch.

A receiver will often drop a pass when wide open without a defender in sight.  Why? They were too eager to get into the end zone and not focusing on what’s right in front of them.  Maybe they were thinking about the glory of the end zone and their celebration (cough, @OGOchocinco, cough) or maybe they assumed it was so easy that real effort wasn’t needed.

Here’s the point- if you take your eyes off the ball, you may miss the big play that can be the difference between a win and a loss.

In communications, a group often overlooked is the one right in front of you.  Your employees are the faces of your organization.  They are the ones that will be asked, “so, what do you do” countless times at holiday parties in the next month.  They are the ones we may miss when busy coming up with the next great pitch to our reporter friends or while busy getting ready for a big product launch.

It’s easy to quick rush by and say “they know what we’re about” but, if they are only updated once a year on your efforts, they aren’t likely to tell the story you’d like to hear.  They are the people you want, and need, to tell your story in a positive and committed manner.  It’s essential to take the time to plan for your internal communications just as thoroughly as you focus on key external audiences. Take a minute to think right now and ask yourself if your employees are they ready to answer those questions in a way you’ll completely love. If you aren’t 100 percent sold on their glowing answers, you better get at it now.  Don’t get so busy looking downfield that you drop the ball right in front of you.

Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Dirk Hansen under Creative Commons Attribution License.