As I prepared for another snow day working from home with my kids, I realized that it I’m pulling from my marketing playbook. The same strategies that create successful cross-functional marketing alignment are keeping my household from descending into chaos. Here’s what I’ve learned.

Set Expectations Early

The night before a snow day, I gather my kids for what marketers would call a “kickoff meeting.” We review everyone’s responsibilities: Child 1 handles the dishwasher, Child 2 tackles laundry. Even seemingly obvious tasks get spelled out – “Yes, getting dressed includes brushing your teeth.” All these tasks work together toward our shared afternoon goal: playing in the snow and roasting marshmallows.

This mirrors how I handle marketing initiatives. When working it’s best never to leave expectations to chance. Just as I clarify “getting dressed” with my kids, we clarify handoffs and responsibilities with colleagues. This prevents assumptions (like thinking everyone knows what “qualified lead” means) and gives stakeholders a chance to raise concerns or suggest improvements before we’re knee-deep in execution.

Make Success Visible and Accessible

Snow days with kids teach you about strategic positioning. Without guidance, hungry kids raid the kitchen for cookies and chips, depleting snack supplies and ruining dinner plans. My solution? I place parent-approved snacks in visible, easy-to-reach spots and communicate what’s available. This way, they can make independent choices that align with our overall plan for the day.

Marketing faces the same visibility challenge. When cross-functional colleagues lack insight into our marketing efforts, they naturally focus on what they can see – usually the flashiest campaigns or most recent social posts. Like putting healthy snacks at eye level, we need to make our strategic marketing initiatives visible and accessible. This means proactively sharing:

• Campaign progress updates
• Success stories
• Upcoming initiatives
• Ways other teams can contribute

Regular Check-ins Keep Everyone on Track

Kids, especially when stuck inside, constantly ask: “When can we go play? Are you done working yet?” Now that they’re older, they understand more, but they still need a framework. I’ve learned to provide clear checkpoints: “Mom’s working until 6:00, then we’ll have hot chocolate together,” or “After this meeting, we can check the snow depth.”

Similarly, marketing initiatives need regular check-ins to stay on course. Like my snow day schedule with the kids, these check-ins provide structure and prevent confusion. They allow us to:

• Confirm we’re moving toward our goals
• Address any roadblocks
• Celebrate small wins
• Adjust plans as needed

Bringing It All Together

A successful snow day working from home, like a successful marketing initiative, relies on:

• Clear expectations set upfront
• Strategic positioning of resources
• Regular, predictable check-ins
• A shared understanding of the end goal

As I prepared for today’s snow day, I double-checked my marketing playbook: expectations will be set, snacks will be strategically placed to increase visibility, and check-in times will be scheduled. 

Remember, if you can align cross-functional teams, you can handle a snow day – or maybe it’s the other way around!