Intentalo

I’m not very hip.  Really.  Some people of my generation may look at me and say I am, but I’m really kind of a technology dinosaur and tend to lean toward practical and methodical.  I do not need fancy or glitzy anything unless you’re talking jewelry, clothes or art supplies.  I am not an early adopter; in fact I’m usually the last person to pick up the first generation gadget, holding onto it fiercely long after multiple versions have come and gone. I’ve been described as innovative by some, but I scratch my head with this one.  I’m adaptive.  I can take anybody’s proven concept making it work for me, but brand new stuff is generally not born in my space. 

I have been wearing myself out these days attempting to solve a client problem.  It is a somewhat nebulous request which makes it difficult to pinpoint a definitive path.  I have offered the traditional solution, a slick prose proposal outlining a regimented process to get from Point A to Point B to be led by a white man in a suit, and been politely told “No, thank you, not what I’m looking for.”  Becoming increasing frustrated and embarrassed to be missing the mark so completely with my client, I finally asked myself “Is this request really unreasonable or is it exasperation because I can’t find the right answer?” 

I did what any reasonable person would do, and asked for help, connecting for a little brainstorming with two women colleagues I met many years ago on a trip to the Bay Area.  They were able to share some insight around what makes this client tick, and offered some fresh ideas on how to approach my problem. I walked away with renewed energy, feeling lighter having thoroughly enjoyed catching up with these friends.  It was like the clouds lifted and all was right with the world again.

Reviewing the information I would go on to forward to my client for consideration, I was struck by how much presentation tilts perspective.  This new proposal was packaged up in a more interactive medium to be delivered by a woman with a retail background. It’s full of the newest buzz words like idea campaigns, crowdsourcing and social collaboration.  It talks about output in terms of illustrations on a white board in real time rather than a paper report issued a few days after the fact. While I am offering essentially the same services outlined in the classic consulting format, the whole picture now looks Instagram instead of Polaroid.   

Most would be excited to be touting such innovative material.  And I am, but there’s a part of me that has been waiting to be at the point in my career where I’m in the position to offer my clients the coveted “consulting proposal”.  It somehow feels like I’ve arrived.  Maybe the sting of its rejection resurrected this recurring theme that haunts my professional life:  I salivate over all the appealing rewards that appear to come with the next level on the corporate ladder, yet when I finally get there it seems like the jewels I’ve been seeking have vanished; the treasure chest is empty; all the rules have changed. But that’s just it, the rules change all the time.  We need to be willing to try the new things, and sometimes that means abandoning our idea of what the job looks like, and seeing it for what it really is. 

While my client’s persistence in not settling for my tried and true approach was initially frustrating, I’m contemplating this lesson in listening and thinking outside the box.  We consider ourselves to be hip and new, but are we?  We become set in our ways and willing, almost anxious, to follow the prescribed path because this is what we’ve been working toward. 

That same day I decided it was time to resurrect my Twitter account.  Sadly neglected, my photo the default “Egg”, it needed a make-over.  When I looked around at how others are using this social medium, my mind started whirling with the possibilities a new vehicle for my message offers.  Sure I’m telling the same story in another way, but that’s a good thing.  Sometimes its a question of finding the right language.  We all hear the words differently which is why they appear in missives, tweets, lyrics, posts and whispers from within. Why not give several a try?

Intentalo is a Spanish word meaning “try it”.  It’s also considered cutting-edge global music, a movement called tribal guarachero that has become synonymous with Northern Mexico.  I read about this yesterday in the print newspaper that lands on my driveway every weekend.  Yes, I said print. Old habits die hard.