The Contingency Plan

Monday mornings make me appreciate being my own boss. I ease myself slowly into work, spend more time with Hugo, plan my week and blog. Making up the rules is just too indulgent. I have control over the jobs I work on, the ideas we submit, how my time is being used and the resources we invest in.

Swap all of this for further job security?

I don't think so.

A thing I never understood when working in a large PR agency was the lack of face-to-face time we were allowed with important contacts. Although contacts are "everything", there were journalists I had been in touch with for years and yet never met. I had created biographies of them for clients, could recite their job history, list the last five industry topics they'd written on and let you know what kind of mobile phone they used but ask me to point them out in a crowd or describe their height, hair or eye colour and I'd shrug a response.

I was having breakfast last weekend with a friend who's leaving Sydney to edit a fantastic magazine interstate and we had an inspiring conversation about this issue. She couldn't remember the last time a PR contact had taken her out for a 30 minute coffee, something that just doesn't make sense. Long lunches have disappeared under greater work loads and billable 15 minute time blocks and have been replaced with emails, blackberries and telephone calls. I don't think it's doing anyone any justice.

Despite her upcoming hot shots and smart strategic players, my old boss is still the one with the best contacts in her company and it's because her 'contacts' have become her friends. If we were stuck with dismal numbers for an important event we'd turn to her. When we needed someone to pitch an imperative campaign deal she'd make the call. She has these people over for dinner, accompanies them to industry events, knows how they like their coffee, how old their kids or pets are and when she picks up the phone to pitch in a story, she doesn't have to explain what company she's calling from. They're on a first name basis.

Chloe and I work from our offices together on Fridays and last Friday we decided to wind the clock back to times before technology took hold in regards to our working relationships.

Whether it's long lunches or short coffees or hand written 'thank you' notes, nothing can replace tangible human contact when trying to build a lasting relationship.

And this whole notion has inspired me so much that last weekend I turned off my mobile phone, didn't send a single text message, had friends drop by and stay until bed time, wrote an old friend a letter and sat in the sun playing with Luc and Hugo. There were no laptops, no TVs or DVDs, and the only music we heard was from the trees and birds.

And it felt so damn good.

Sounds lovely!

Interesting, that the "R" of PR has become so automated and lost the personal touch. You and Chloe can build your business on restoring that.

Due to gas prices here I have endeavored to have no-drive days. I used to try to have one weekday and one weekend day, but if it's one day in 7 I'm doing well. I have not, however, tried a no-tech weekend. We have them forced upon us every so often during hurricane season anyway!