I had never heard of Jason F till one day, when after a very long day at the office, I entered my room and caught the last 10 minutes of his interview on a show that my husband was watching.
Among many things Jason said, the one that resonated the most with me was his comments on exercising. He said, that in addition to what he does, he does simple exercises to aid circulation.
Not run a few miles. Not practice for a marathon. Not pump irons. Not do 10,000 steps. Just to do enough to aid circulation…
As a new adopter of a new Fitbit Versa, this was crucial – I was barely managing 6000 steps and was guilty. But more than anything else, it was a moment of epiphany. Circulate is possibly the single most important thing that we should do as communication professionals!
As inhabitants of the land of yoga, we all know how important circulation is. I also looked it up – “Blood circulation is one of the most important functions in the body. It supplies oxygen to the brain and other organs. It’s what makes our bodies work. It can also promote healthier skin and helps cell growth”.
Now that it has been established that circulation is crucial, let me tell you how important this is to each one of us
Circulate – Remain teachable
Staying nimble helps in learning new things. So, when the winds of “change of job” blows my way, I embark on a new adventure of new learnings. My industry agnostic professional life has forced me to unlearn and relearn things, inspired me to come up with newer solutions to old problems and has prevented boredom from setting in.
Sometimes it not been just about a new industry, it has been about a partner function. How often do you stop by the desk of a finance colleague to understand the health of the balance sheets? As a media relations guru, have you understood the power of employee engagement and its contribution to business results? The more you learn – the better you can contribute to the business that you support because it all adds up.
For my part, I used to hate excel sheets – now it’s a part of my day. So, remain nimble footed, open up to new experiences. Be done with “this is done only this way” or “in my last job this is what we did”. Your reality is today – so learn to let it flow through you. It will supply oxygen to your brain and keep you relevant
Circulate – Share your knowledge
I am very passionate about PR and I wish it long and healthy life. I often wish there was an equivalent of an IIM for Communication professionals – where we could learn, teach and hone the skills of the future generations.
While some consultancies have started some great in-house training modules and we have seen Communication being taught at some institutes, just imagine the force it will gather, if each one of us were to teach one more within the profession! I am always curious for new information and new experiences – and if you are the one who can share it with me – I will be richer for that.
So, share, teach, and let others “steal with pride”. Let learnings circulate! It will help “cells” to grow.
Circulate – Network, Network, Network
Ah! This has to be my favourite part. Networking broadens your horizons, opens up your life and allows for it to be filled with more possibilities. (Not necessarily in a “LinkedIn” kind of a way!).
But one has to be cautious not to make networking an agenda. It must be triggered by a genuine desire to get to know more about a person – their likes and dislikes and what makes them tick. I have picked up interesting insights on consumer behaviour and trends from spirited conversations with people who are unrelated to research in their profession. When people engage beyond the boundaries of their designations, you create a longer lasting bond.
Additionally, often in course of your discourse, you stumble upon an “ask” from one and a “give” from another. And if you can be the conduit to bridge the two, it will be win-win situation!
I love meeting interesting people and so I have my tweetups of like-minded twitteratis I otherwise may not know.
I love it when people open doors of new relationships for me.
I love it when all come together, circulate their ideas, share knowledge and have fun.
Just do this much. Not run a mile; or 10000 steps. Just flow. If you can allow yourself to circulate, you can become anything.
I will leave you with a quote from Bruce Lee,
“You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.”
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Reading list – Jason Fried – “It doesn’t have to be crazy at work”
PS1 – It has been crazy at work, so I am yet to read it. But heard great things about it. Can’t go wrong with Jason F.
PS2 – This piece is also a shout out to a friend who has decided to meet new people every week (52 people in a year).
Bruce Lee Interview – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJMwBwFj5nQ
Share your stories on Circulate with me on twitter @ddey67.
The views expressed here are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of Reputation Today.
Currently she is the Head of Communication and CSR for GSK Consumer Healthcare, India Sub Continent. Her areas of expertise include Consumer Communications, Industry Orchestration, Corporate Reputation & Employer branding, Change Management, Online Reputation Management, Crisis/Issue Management and Executive branding. Deepa joined GSK Consumer Healthcare in 2013 and is a part of the India Management team, and APAC Communication Leadership Team.
She loves to travel, read and eat. Her current passion is “shinrin – yoku” and going for long walks with her family.
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