– Written by Alison Relf
There was a moment when I realised I kept hearing the words flexible and flexibility! On zoom calls, with friends, on the TV with the next MP’s speech! We must all be more flexible; ergo understanding. The world may have gone mad but we must remain flexible to cope!
I guess the first time I probably heard it was in the dreaded gym classes at school – “Oh, she’s not very flexible!” While my peers were doing the splits around me, I couldn’t even touch my toes!
But now it’s everywhere. You know the type of thing; once something gets in your head, it’s there! That jingle, that “unprecedented times” phrase; that awful “same hymn sheet” stuff!
But I quite like “flexibility” now that I think about it – as a way to describe how we must all work and socialise and empathise and accept now! Be Kind! I have been debating how to rebrand and re-message our little PR company. And flexible is what I keep coming back to.
There are no rules anywhere any longer! I don’t know them anyway!
9-5 desk time with a two hour commute anyone? No – can I work flexitime? Now there’s an old phrase!
And when you are talking PR, marketing, communications, content, the world is going so fast that the days of a year-long fixed programme with no wiggle room have gone. A fixed, non-moveable price? No……….a menu-driven, flexible strategy, yes.
Equally, rather like you have certain friends who are fantastic at different things (crying, drinking, running, dancing, book clubbing), companies now want a mix of people who are fantastic at different things. This is surely where flexibility comes in. They may not want ten huge agencies with whatever headaches that may bring; they want small agencies or independents so that the mix is flexible. PR, SEO, website, content, media, social…………..they want to know that the “team” is flexible to their needs whenever they may change.
And that’s what I am going to push!
Still can’t touch my toes though – gave up trying years ago!
Alison
Thank you to Norbord for the brilliant photograph.