Why the Most Strategic Teams Don't Wait to Be Asked
Part 3 of 3: From Support to Strategy
There’s a moment many Advancement MarComm professionals reach—especially those striving to evolve their teams—when something clicks:
They stop asking, “How do we prove our value?” And instead start wondering, “What if we stopped asking for permission all the time and just started shaping the strategy?”
Many teams are still stuck in the “order-taker” trap. Others have changed their naming or restructured but still find themselves pursuing credibility or clarity from leadership and partners.
But a growing number are crossing into a different space... something I’ve heard more frequently in conversations with colleagues at conferences, events, and coffee chats over the past year.
They’re tired of reactively responding to needs and trying to more proactively define value, reframe opportunities, and influence what comes next.
This final issue of the “From Support to Strategy” series explores what it takes to reach that final stage: becoming a truly influential Advancement MarComm team.
The Influence Era
Let’s recap the journey so far:
- Part 1: Labels shape perception—what you call your team sends a signal about your role and purpose.
- Part 2: Structure shapes strategy—if you’re not positioned near decision-makers and priority planning, you’re likely spinning your wheels.
Now, in Part 3, we explore the final evolution: influence.
Influential teams share three defining traits:
- They drive clarity – They simplify complexity and build narratives that connect dots across the institution—for leadership, for donors, for everyone. (see past issue: Clarity is King)
- They anticipate, not react – They surface opportunities, map strategy before the ask, and bring insight others haven’t yet considered. (see past issue: Reactive vs. Proactive Teams)
- They build trust with truth – They speak candidly. They’re data-informed, action-oriented, and outcome-driven. They’re not “yes teams”—they’re right teams. (see past issue: Build Internal Trust)
Getting there requires:
- Strategic resourcing – Structure, staff, tools, and space to think.
- Leadership air cover – Someone above who helps guard your team’s focus and mission.
- Selective overperformance – Picking key moments to go above and beyond in service of trust.
Influence isn’t granted. It’s earned.
And the most effective teams don’t wait for permission—they behave like strategic partners until they’re treated like one.
Putting It Into Practice
If you’re aiming to reach that final stage of influence, here are some ways to operationalize the traits and enablers above:
Strategic Resourcing
Influence requires bandwidth. Create internal briefs or dashboards to show how much time reactive work consumes—and use that data to justify shifting priorities, pausing low-impact requests, or adding headcount or freelance support. If you don’t already track “unfunded priorities” or missed opportunities, now’s the time.
Leadership Air Cover
Develop a shared language with your VP or AVP. Don’t assume they know what “air cover” looks like. Be explicit about when your team needs backing—whether it’s in declining misaligned requests, slowing unsustainable timelines, or pushing cross-functional alignment. In my final year at Drexel, demand for our team’s support far exceeded capacity—because our frontline partners had come to see us as core to their success. We met regularly with our SVP and VPs to collectively prioritize opportunities. That kind of senior-level partnership becomes a "must have."
Selective Overperformance
Every “yes” costs something. So say yes strategically. Choose two or three high-impact opportunities each quarter and make them count:
- A trustee-facing deck that sharpens campaign storytelling.
- A concept paper for principal gift prospects that builds emotional case-making, taking a $5M idea and turning it into a $10M+ idea.
- A reimagined stewardship initiative that models strategic and creative excellence, like a giving society revamp.
- The launch of a new alumni engagement program that fills a critical void, such as volunteer cultivation.
Be sure the right people know where that lift came from—and why it mattered.
Insights That Back It Up
📌 Cross-Functional MarComm Teams Are Driving Strategic Outcomes
A 2025 Inside Higher Ed piece by Carrie Phillips earlier this month details how cross-functional teams—with partnerships in advancement, enrollment, and more—position MarComm as strategy leaders, not service departments.
Read more →
📌 Integrated Advancement Teams Deliver Faster Results
CASE reports that integrated advancement structures—where MarComm, alumni engagement, and fundraising collaborate—expedite results like major gift cultivation and donor pipeline growth.
Explore the CASE article →
📌 Partnerships with Leadership Multiply MarComm Impact
This strategic primer outlines how effective Advancement teams build internal trust and cross-campus alliances to unlock donor energy.
From The Angeletti Group →
Final Thoughts: Where Are You on the Journey?
Over the past three weeks, we’ve mapped a common—but not inevitable—trajectory:
➤ From reactive support to strategic clarity.
➤ From isolated execution to integrated structure.
➤ From waiting for direction to shaping it.
So, where are you right now?
- Have you reframed how you label and position your team?
- Have you begun aligning your structure to institutional strategy?
- Are you actively working to build influence: proactively, visibly, credibly?
If the answer to any of those is “not yet,” that’s okay. You’re not behind—you’re building. And you don’t have to do it alone.
Want help mapping your team's path from support to influence?
Let's make your next move matter.
Dan
