I happened to speak at the eighth edition of PRAXIS in Goa last weekend (thanks again to Team One Source and Team PRAXIS for making this possible!) It was my fourth PRAXIS as an attendee; the first one was at Aamby Valley three years ago where I got to experience how this platform offers learning, networking and fun – all in one.
I spoke on bringing the coding philosophy of 10x into PR and how it can be relevant for the profession. I was once a coder – which is when the term 10x attracted me. Since I was once a coder and now that I am communications professional, I have been thinking of how-to bring learnings of that field into PR. Recapping my thoughts here in this week’s column.
The term 10xer is used to define professionals who perform 10x times more productively and efficiently as compared to the set standards of the industry. It started as a concept in software development – as a coding philosophy and was later unanimously adopted as a growth mindset across departments and industries.
Delving deeper into how and why it is relevant for us as PR professionals, the pyramid mentioned above defines attributes of 10xers.
- Fanatic discipline
This is about consistency of action and performing standard. It is about the relentless and focused approach to achieve the end goal – the defined objective. Remember the consistency in messaging and brand narrative that we, as communications professionals, are trying to achieve across all platforms? Well, that explains fanatic discipline.
- Empirical creativity
When I think of creativity, it is Steve Jobs who comes to my mind and it was he who had once said, “Creativity is about connecting things.”
Similarly, empirical creativity, as a behaviour of 10xer, is when the decisions are based on empirical evidence rather than opinions, whims or untested ideas. This is similar to the way we as PR professionals are looking for insights from the huge amount of data to craft the campaign that is able to strike the right chord amongst consumers.
- Productive paranoia
Well, I call it OCD of being hypervigilant and having a plan B – especially when trouble kicks in. 10xers build buffers and prepare for challenges that may arise later. Are you too thinking of crisis communications which is an important part of our role as communications professionals? The early morning reports, the late-night calls, uncertainty yet full-on action. Well, that sums up productive paranoia as a trait of 10xer.
- Level 5 ambition
All of this combines to form Level 5 ambition, ambition which is not for one’s own self but for a larger purpose, cause or organization. At a juncture when brands across the world are grappling to adopt purpose led communications as a part of their brand strategy, it is time that Level 5 ambition gets ingrained into the PR profession.
I recently got acquainted with this saying – ‘of being a sage on the stage or the guide on the side?’ and that’s when I thought that we, as PR professionals, are always working like a guide on the side trying to make the sage on the stage look miraculously good, whether one is a 10xer or not.
As a takeaway therefore, having explained about 10xers, I would like to ask a question which is pertinent in today’s times. In a world where lines are fast blurring between advertising, PR and digital, and PR professionals are expected to go far beyond their set KRAs, isn’t it time to bring this concept whole-heartedly into the PR business? The answer to which is on all of us and we need to find it out, soon!
Inspired by the character of Jessica Pearson from Suits, she advocates for women’s equality at work and life and wants to write a book on the topic one day.
She can be reached at @PR_wali on Twitter.
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