Once upon a time, when I was younger and definitely less
worldly, I really cared what people thought of me. Now, not so much.
Does it matter in the grand scheme of things? Do I have to
have anyone’s permission, approval or consent about how I run my business? No.
Have I done ok so far? Pretty much.
As the years go by, I’ve found I care less and less about
what people think, and more and more about whether I can lay my head on my
pillow at night, knowing I’ve done the best I could during the day.
It matters more to me that I’ve acted morally, legally and
ethically. It matters to me that if I have a problem with something or someone,
I’ve done something about it and not stayed quiet for fear of being thought
badly of, which I might previously have done. I can’t stand idly by while I
watch something being done which I believe is incorrect, illogical,
unreasonable, unfair or plain daft. And I tend to say things in a
straightforward manner these days, whereas I might have spluttered and walked
away before.
People might not like it, but it has to be done. I might
implode or explode if I keep things in, and that just wouldn’t do. Think of the
mess.
I was someone who would sit in a meeting and a bright idea
would come into my head and I’d be reticent to share. I’d wait and wait,
gathering up the courage, then someone else would say it and get the credit. I
bet that’s happened to you too.
Now I stand up for my views, share my ideas and
if someone else presents a rational counter-argument, that’s fine. I’m happy to
be persuaded otherwise but only if there’s a better rationale and I can see it
makes sense. You may not believe it but sometimes I do get things wrong, and I get
frustrated when there isn’t a rounded and fair debate on the subject.
I often ask clients why something is being done a particular
way and frequently hear it’s “always been done that way”, which is almost a
gauntlet being thrown down to someone like me. If I can’t see the logic I’ll
offer a better, quicker, cheaper, easier way to do it.
The result is that
people look as it they’ve seen a ghost. They go white, then red, then a strange
shade of green as the penny drops that they could have been doing it that way
all along.
This, of course, is because having been in business for so
long I’ve seen an awful lot, made many mistakes, enjoyed many successes, worked
in and with a huge range of sectors, and have the benefit of experience. It
means age-related resilience, more courage, less ‘sweating the small stuff’ and
an ability to see the bigger picture.
Clients sometimes hook themselves on to a belief about an
issue based on their views about their business. Age-related resilience allows
me to stand my ground. I’m giving them my best advice (which, as a Fellow of
the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, I’m duty-bound to give anyway) and
because it’s based on an excellent understanding of my field of expertise and the
facts that I’ve gleaned about their business. I reach conclusions and give
advice solely for the benefit of clients long-term. And if they get frustrated
with me when I don’t always agree with them? I go to bed at night knowing I’ve
given the best advice for which they’re paying. I am, after all, on their side.
Lessons learned along the way?
- Never be afraid to get things wrong – enjoy the learning curve
- Focus on cash flow, knowing your customers inside and out, what makes them buy from you and what makes them not buy from you
- Look after your clients as they’re your brand ambassadors
- Keep up-to-date with innovation and new technology which can help you in your job
- Take frequent pit stops during the day to remind yourself there is a world away from the computer
- Drink lots of water
- Breathe deeply
- Be grounded
- Use voicemail effectively especially if you’re concentrating on something and don’t want to be disturbed
- Realise you don’t need to answer every email immediately
- Use the Auto Reply function on your email to let people know you’re away from the office for a while so you don’t lose any business
- Sleep well (something I still haven’t mastered)
The benefits of ageing? Being able to write a blog post like
this and not worry if someone doesn’t like it. It's more about not needed validation, as you do when you're younger. It's about having the courage of your convictions, the benefit of having seen and done a lot, and knowing that something that seems huge one day will likely be almost forgotten in months to come.
The best mentoring comes from age, experience, knowledge, straight-talking,
empathy, big picture thinking, confidence, proven skills, and a desire to pay
things forward.
If you need mentoring – or any other PR, marketing, branding
or social media services we offer – contact Jill Woolf on 01903 812275.
