What a planner’s path was, circa 10 - 15 years ago.
(A completely arbitrary timeframe, and there are a lot of assumptions here, so call me on it as you see fit). Seems like planners then had few chances to connect with or collaborate with other planners beyond the 4 walls of the agency within they worked at that given time. Young planners were rarely exposed to the broader planning world, maybe once a year at the 4A’s conference, but other than that, it seems pretty limited. There was little chance to share thinking or ideas that extended beyond current client work with a broader peer group, unless you were a heavy hitter at director level or above. And I have to imagine that made most initial career moves pretty incremental, since only a small group knew how you thought or what you might have to offer.

Planner’s career paths today, and their reach beyond agency walls.
What’s amazing to me about planning today is the fact that ‘work’ isn’t always confined to the walls of your agency. Obviously, there are a few key people (and they are not the only ones) I’ve worked with to whom I credit basically all of my career growth, and without them I would be nowhere. But I’m also aware of the fact that part of my journey so far has been made possible because of some connections I’ve made and the relationships I’ve fostered among people I’ve never worked with. I’ve been able to connect with some smart people who, in a similar situation 15 years ago, I may have only heard of in name, but never gotten the chance to know or collaborate with. And it’s added another layer of richness to the job.

It’s also lead to a more accessible form of career networking.
I’ll admit, I’m not the strongest face-to-face networker in the world. Walking up to random people at conferences and striking up conversations has always been weird and uncomfortable for me, and I’ve always been envious of those who seem to have no problems with it. But today, it seems like the need to be at things like the 4A’s “festival” in order to make those same connections is less necessary (not that it doesn’t have it’s role, personally don’t see it as an either/or). Being able to make a series of digital introductions has helped me make connections I may have never otherwise had (in fact many strong professional connections for me are people I’ve only met a couple times or never at all, as I’ve written about before). Think this is a major shift, because it’s allowed people like me who may be a bit more introverted and less comfortable with big networking events to still seek out connections on a more one-to-one basis. And some of those connections have lead me to amazing opportunities (like, for example, the chance to speak at Planning-ness this year). I’m not quite sure what I would’ve done without this. In fact, I’m not sure how I would’ve grown as a planner without some of the tech we take for granted to connect me with such an incredibly diverse and talented pool of people.

From personal to collective- the effect on planning itself.
Beyond just changing the career path, feels like something else happened. I clearly remember times a few years ago when I was given the figurative pat on the head and a knowing smirk by agency/client folks alike for suggesting such ludicrous things as a company having a blog or, god forbid, tweeting about stuff. I’m sure many of you have experienced the same, and it goes without saying it’s not a great feeling. My point in mentioning that is I really believe planners have kept each moving forward, helped keep each other motivated in the face of adversity, and we’ve kept each other progressive in part by our constant connection to one another. I imagine most of our departments are quite small, and we’re all so busy, but the outlet we have to the larger planner crowd I think keeps many of us going (I know it’s a huge part of my day, and how I decompress amidst the madness) and serves as a key source of inspiration. Not to mention that we now have access to a free gold mine of insights and information, from incredibly smart people all around the world.

And beyond planning, it feels like a big benefit to agencies.
All of this makes it clear to me that planners can help drive a more collaborative spirit through our respective agencies given our own benefit from working together. For all the talk of openness and collaboration, I think it’s safe to say many of us likely still work in places that see other agencies as “enemies” and which shy away from sharing intel openly and freely. While obviously we don’t advocate handing over every company secret, what we can help drive through is a more open dialogue in the agency world, and push our peers to let go of the mindset that collaboration with ‘competitors’ is not OK. And in fact, it can lead to some of the best partnerships you’ve never thought of. We’re already starting to see it come to life (at Boulder Digital Works, for example) and I’m sure we could use more of it.

So what does it all mean?
Until last night, I wasn’t quite sure where I was going with this, if it’s even all that interesting, or how to end this little ramble. But a great post by Thas around what our generation’s story is or will be (similar to how generations in this business before had things like Art + Copy), got me thinking how we progress through our careers today can ultimately lead us to and help shape that next story. It’s almost better that we don’t know exactly what it is, and it’s an opportunity to figure it out together, along with everyone else out there. A more collaborative career path, enabled by technology. More than ever, we can (and we are) helping each other chart the course for the future. And maybe what’s most exciting to me is that it’s not just happening within the walls of only one agency, but across our broader community. We all have a role to play (if you want one). I’m not the first one to say this is an exciting time to be in this business, and I’m sure I won’t be the last.

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