As I'm fond of saying, blogs are good for making things happen indirectly etc.Well it's not just journalists who make that mistake. And I have a feeling we're realising more and more that the immediate cause-effect way of thinking just doesn't cut it for complex systems. I never had a business model for this blog, I just started blogging because I was curious and I pretty much blog when I feel like it. I try not to blog when I don't feel like it. (I currently have a policy of not blogging about when I'm not blogging. I find that "expect light blogging" thing a bit narcissistic).But journalists seem to have a problem getting their head around it. "Indirectly" is too foreign to them. They're too used to living in the "directly" universe.
But the longer I do this, the more I realise that this blog pays off for me in lots of indirect ways. And I've had two or three very juicy projects given to me by people who have never met me before. They feel they know me well enough from what I write here, and the odd Skype chat, to trust me with some serious work for serious money. That's when I realise this pull-not-push world is real, not some intriguing theory.
(For a journalist who really gets indirect, I continue to recommend John Kay on Obliquity.)
Technorati tags: indirect, john+jay, obliquity
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Comments (3)
you know, I totally agree with this. I've been wrirint a personal blog for 2.5 years now and it's taught me a lot about writing when it's "right" not when you feel you have to. If I'm being true to myself then a strategic plan for my business blog isn't what I need - strategic thinking is...and like you I hope to attract some new relationships that result in interesting work when the time is right!
April 20, 2006 10:44 Permalink for comment
Good stuff Johnnie - I'm glad the blog is working for you. I think it certainly had an influence on getting me my latest role.
The complexity of relationships, the indirect influence is far more useful in the long run to achieve an effect. I wonder whether the culture of instant gratification colours views too much at the moment and that is part of the issue?
April 20, 2006 15:20 Permalink for comment
These last few days have been too busy to blog—hence no new posts from yours truly. I know what you are saying: blog genuinely, or don’t blog at all. Readers can detect a weak post.
April 22, 2006 10:47 Permalink for comment