Life with digital tether is a blessing and a curse.
Some professionals are tethered to their work 24/7. Doctors. Lawyers. Executives and business owners. Crisis PR people.
Problems don’t take time off. You don’t get to, either.
When clients or customers want you, they want you now. Ten minutes ago would be even better.
You wear a phone glued to your hip all day and keep it next to the bed when you sleep. Woe are those who miss a call or don’t respond promptly to an email.
It’s an interesting commentary on the speed with which life has changed. New tools always eclipse old. Usually, it’s incremental and takes generations.
Not so with the revolution in digital devices.
It began in earnest only a couple of decades ago, but the addiction is complete. It’s been so fast and thorough that memories of the old ways are already hazy. Somehow the old tools worked, but in hindsight, they seem hopelessly clumsy and inefficient (probably because they were). The desire now is overwhelming forever newer, faster, and shinier.
Case in point: Recently a Crisis PR person strode into a meeting looking worried.
“My phone is on my office desk, and I won’t be back there for two hours. What if ….” His voice trailed off nervously.
By the time the meeting ended, he was at ease. “It’s nice to feel free, even if only briefly. But now I’ve got to rush back and see what I missed.” (Were calls and emails missed? Yes. Were they important? Yes. Lesson learned.)
Vacations are a rarity, but that’s fine. Sitting on a beach pretending to have fun isn’t really appealing to adrenaline-driven, Type-A personalities. Indeed, when the family of one Crisis PR executive succeeded in dragging him to a coastal resort, he kept his BlackBerry clipped to his bathing suit. Just in case.
For a deeper glimpse into our world, see our book on Amazon, A Lawyer’s Guide to Crisis PR: Protecting Your Clients In & From the Media.
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You can reach Roger Gillott and Eden Gillott directly at 310-396-8696.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.
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