Inaccessibility is an outdated power play
"It occurred to me just how un-zeitgeist the ‘book with my PA’ response was."
A young lawyer considering a freelance career got in touch with me recently.
It transpired that we weren’t going to do business via Free Range Lawyers in the short-to-medium-term, but I put her in touch via email with two contacts who I thought could help her with her career plans.
I am grateful to both contacts for responding to help this young lawyer.
The first contact responded promptly, letting her know that his diary was pretty busy, but if she contacted his PA, the PA could set-up a time to meet soon.
The second contact responded promptly too. She included words of encouragement and enquired when the young lawyer might be free to speak. She included her mobile phone number and also encouraged the lawyer to call at any time, saying she’d be happy to chat if she was free.
It occurred to me just how un-zeitgeist the ‘book with my PA’ response was, compared to ‘hi – would love to speak when suits you, and here’s my mobile’.
In a world where we’re connecting as fellow human-beings now more than ever before, power-positioning through inaccessibility has had its day.
