Sometimes we all get so bogged down with the day-to-day business of running client campaigns that we forget to take time out to think. To me, it’s as important (probably more so) as any other part of the job.
There are so many distractions in the workplace today – constant monitoring of email, Facebook, Twitter, IM – that it’s hard to get time away to think. I know that being available to talk to clients and media, or to respond to social posts, is important. But often people expect you to respond immediately to non-urgent things. (True story: someone recently called my landline, which was engaged, then my mobile, then sent me a text and two IMs, all saying “Where are you? I’ve sent you an email.”)
But if we’re to be creative, or to come up with new angles, or solve problems, we should build thinking time into our day. That means going offline for a bit – away from the screen, away from your phone, and probably physically moving away from your desk (even going to sit in the park for an hour with a notebook).
For me, good ideas rarely come when I’m in front of a screen, and it takes a lot longer to get my stream of thought back when I’ve been interrupted umpteen times by IM, tweets, Facebook messages and emails. And agencies need good ideas. We bill on them. Time to think creatively is right up there with time reading media, talking to clients or producing content. It merits its own spot in your day, every day.
So, if I’m not here when you call, I’m doing something very important. I’m thinking. Possibly in the park. In the sunshine.
