Blurred Lines

Someone asked me the other day to clarify who I consulted with. He wanted to know if I worked with individuals or organizations.

I said yes.

I don't think he was happy with the answer. I understand that. Within the traditional corporate structure - which is where he works - we are not interested in blurred lines. We want everything and everyone to fit into a box in a clearly defined hierarchy.

That is her job.

This is his job.

We like flow charts and job descriptions so one person does not interfere in another's playground.

But that's not how it works in real life. Not anymore.

Digital tools and the power of the Internet have blurred the lines. 

When I started selling no one in marketing liked the sales department. No one in public relations liked marketing. And IT - that was reserved for things like invoicing and had nothing to do with any of the above.

They were all silos that stood alone in the field.

No more.

Sales, Marketing and PR intersect and are lost without IT.

The same was true of  your professional and your personal life. The ability to check your work emails on Sunday in between the soccer game and a walk in the park did not exist in the last century. Those things waited until Monday. 

Clear lines of distinction.

Easier then. More complex now.

The more it changes, the more blurred the lines become.  

A digital strategy is necessary for the organization and the brand. But it's also something that every individual who wants to stay marketable within and without their company  needs to have.

As for who I work with - to be clear - the line is blurred.






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