23
Aug
2010
Proactive – does it have to be a cliché?
Every so often a new word comes along that takes every conference room by storm. Proactive is a recent example. There’s hardly an office canteen not packed with earnest-looking people imploring each other – and everybody within earshot – to be proactive. It doesn’t seem to matter what you say (or write) as long as it contains the magic word.
Nynas decided to depart from the clichés and explore what proactivity really means (not a bad idea, given that it’s one of the company’s core values). So they invited key staff to a conference to do just that. Our job was to get everyone in a ‘proactive’ mood before the event. Because anticipation is a key component of proactivity, we designed an e-mail invitation and suggested a kit with the following potentially useful items:
- tie and mascara (you never know when you need to look your best)
- marshmallows (unbeknown to the invitees, there was a ‘marshmallow activity’ planned for the conference)
- ear-plugs (in case your neighbour’s raucous revelry disturbs your sleep)
Apparently, the conference was a success and the kit was appreciated. Being fairly proactive ourselves, we had, of course, already anticipated that.