The Fix Is In 5

(5) Integration doesn't mean you can do television AND radio.
Advertising, Public Relations, Customer Service, Operations, Interactive...
Then Media, Creative, Account Service, Account Planning, Accounting (yes, even accounting)...
Then advergaming, experiential, direct mail, newspaper, internet, tv, radio, guerrilla, search...

What the fuck are we doing?

We are so caught up in our own little spaces, our own little crevices, where it's easy to hide and pretend our jobs are to do the things we think we should be doing.  I produce websites, he places television, she writes headlines.  But those are only pieces of a goal, and if your eyes aren't squarely on that goal, the big picture, then we're all screwed.

WE WORK IN COMMUNICATIONS, PEOPLE!
Who gives a shit what is PR and what is advertising?  Does the consumer know or care whether the placement is paid or not?  Of course they don't!  What they do care about is who they trust, who they feel connections with, and the interactions in which they're treated as more important than whatever they're buying. 

The Fix:
+Throw out our dated terminology altogether. 
Redefine our jobs around the customers of our clients.  You don't write copy; you facilitate communication exchange.  She builds interaction vehicles for and with our customers. It may seem a little trivial to just throw out the words we use to describe our positions, but trust me, it plays a big role. In a t-shaped world, there are still specialties, but it raises everyone's game when anyone may be called on for anything. 

+Develop strategic guidelines and distribute them to EVERYONE, then award those who help to resolve the problem (especially when it's outside their area of expertise).
Give the goal, and tell everyone who will listen what it is.  Make it important (monetarily, or for recognition, or advancement, or whatever) to make their opinions known, no matter the subject.  If an intern or a janitor can find a better way, then let them.  Creatives don't have a monopoly on good ideas.

+Fix your money
So many companies are geared to make their money off the Super Bowl.  Get rid of it.  Get paid for the problems you solve, not how you solve them.

+Enable inter-office communication
Do whatever it takes to get people talking, and not just in their own clicks, but outside of their natural circles.  Force them to engage with people they may not have without a little encouragement.

Yes, I saved the best for last:

+START FROM THE CUSTOMER AND WORK YOUR WAY BACKWARD.
The quickest way to disassemble the current bullshit is to reach your customers where and how they are open to being reached, not where and how it's easiest for you to shout at them.  Find where they are, how they talk, how they get their entertainment and information, and find ways to enhance those experiences.  This, above all else, will keep you on the righteous path of media agnosticism.

photo from ScribeSevenThree via flickr.