Let me introduce you to a conversation that I have had a lot of over the past few weeks. It goes something like this:
A friend: 'So just how do you do it Chris?'
Chris: 'Do what? What have I done now...?!'
A friend: 'No, not in that way! I mean all the PIP stories stuff?'
Well. I hope you are sitting comfortably, because now I'm about to tell you. But first, some context!
Fire in your belly, composure in your mind, compassion in your heart
The above saying is something I always come back to with the PIP stories work, especially when the going is tough, which it sometimes is. Make no mistake, it is my choice to take this path, but its not always an easy one to create and follow. Thats where the fire comes in. I just remember the stories I have received, and what they have revealed, and my resolve is restored.
Composure is needed in lots of ways, especially to make sure that fire is well used. As I have said before, running this race is a marathon and not a sprint. It can be easy to forget that. As I'll shortly outline, making this work happens also involves the juggling of a lot of components, all of which need careful consideration.
Compassion. Doesn't the world need more of this, especially of late? My parents have been (and are) one of the biggest influences in my life. A saying of my dad over the years has been to be 'firm minded, and tender hearted.' Compassion is there as I think this is what the PIP process needs more of in general too.
I'm privileged to be given the insight I am into the experiences people share with me, and one of my stand out reflections is that I think the whole process would be vastly improved if it was completed with greater levels of care and compassion.
The PIP process would be vastly improved if it was managed with greater care and compassion
The elements of the PIP stories campaign
There are five main elements of the PIP stories campaign. which I will now outline. Each element is equally important and inter related.
a) PR
The PR aspects to the campaign are important to keep this work on peoples radar. The primary goal at the moment is to keep growing the number of PIP stories, as each one helps to strengthen the robustness of the findings. Thats why I say every story counts. Activity on Twitter and Facebook is a big part of this, along with the production of things like the FAQ and posters to help spread the word.
Recently I have also started to work with some organisations to help me spread the word too. I've deliberately and carefully engaged with a range of people in order to make sure the reach of this work is as big as it can be and that as many voices are heard as possible.
A big part of this work is what goes on behind the scenes and I'll do a lot of talking with people to raise awareness about what is being done and why. I've deliberately been quite transparent about this in order that people can also have a greater understanding of my reasoning, approach and future plans.
PR also means looking at analytics to get a view of how I'm doing and writing a certain weekly blog....
b) Admin
Without keeping organised, it would be very easy to get lost with everything. Making sure I am on top of my emails, calls, planning and to do list is key.
c) Research
Knowledge is power, and this particularly is the case in the world of PIP. Via the research I'm doing I want to develop a proposal for some academic work, so this means doing the reading needed to so. Research also means looking at things like the technical guidance and the latest legal rulings on PIP.
d) Rest
I put the above in to partially remind myself to do this! I have to keep my own batteries charged up in order to make sure that this work is sustainable. This means making sure that I get at least some down time via breaks and time off at weekends. Supervision is also another key part of this so that the emotional, practical and intellectual demands of these endeavours can be shared in my own safe space.
So a typical week(end) in the life of will involve the careful balancing of the above elements. Here's to further progress as a result!
You can share your PIP story, by clicking here. Thank you for your support with this work.
