July 2010

I'm on the board of an incredible charity, charity:water. They raise money to build wells all over the world. There are 1 billion people without access to clean water right now. Shocking, but true.

We've been doing pro bono pr for them over the past few years and I noticed an interesting heartening thing regarding my staff and their desire to support the charity - they were FULL ON into it. We're a super busy office and doing anything pro bono is tough. There were times when I let them know we could pull back from this "account." They would have none of it, and in fact fought to keep that relationship alive.

Recently, one of my top people went on hiatus to the east and on her return was looking for a job. I put her up for a position at the charity and apparently everyone is happy with the fit. Another employee recently left to pursue more philanthropic work. I think it's a trend. And though I hate to see them go, I get it. Today's employee pool is seeing their life differently. Money isn't everything, is it? I do believe it's good to give at the office, even when it means your staff. Lol!  

When I started in business the general assumption was that one would get a fair wage for a fair day's work. That day ended at 5PM. Period. Of course, I was entry level and living in Miami-which is not New York, meaning most people leave at a  "normal" hour. When I did move to NYC and I was in a new entry level job (one often needs a reinvention) my hours expanded, dramatically. This was a working town and if you weren't here to work, what the heck were you here for anyway?

So, work I did. Along the way, I found out that I was pretty darned ambitious. A town like this will reward the diligent., try it and see, it works. Work, work, work. For goodness sake. And those who worked for me worked too. It was INTENSE. I'm in the communications business and like the town that never sleeps, pr never stops. Especially with crackberries. 

But lo! in the past 2 years I've begun to experience a sea of change. My staff isn't necessarily working less (the DEFINITELY don't think they are) but things are shifting. The urgency associated with our business still exists, but somehow it feels less urgent. One of the biggest signposts of change is my acceptance of "shorthand." Everyone from the client to the associate is "tightening" things up. Maybe because time is "tighter". Maybe because our lexicon has been reduced to letters and not words - lol. Honestly, I don't know what's going on, but I'm fascinated. So, I think I'll dedicate this blog over the next few months to reflect on "observations from the office." Unfortunately, my staff will be the guinea pigs, but things could be worse. They have a pretty kick butt summer schedule. Lol.