I love my job ...
on a market research committee
OK, so it's not third on the list after astronaut and professional
footballer for the average small boy, but I enjoy my time on the
committee of a market research association. Because it's not feegenerating,
and I give my time as a volunteer, some of the pressure
is off - phew - and it's a change to be talking to other researchers
in an environment where one can relax a little instead of sweating
over deadlines and running around for unreasonable clients. In short,
a committee meeting gets me out of the office and the rat race.
And - surprisingly - spending lots of time with a bunch of fellow
market researchers and having time to discuss research issues is not
all that bad. It's not so much the feeling that I am giving up my own
time for the good of the industry - though that helps - as the business
of drinking wine and eating nibbles for hours on end, and then going
off for a pint or three afterwards.
Council
or
committee
meetings
give
me
a
chance
to
learn
from
some
of
the
brighter
brains
in
the
industry...
well,
I'm
on
it
so
that
shouldn't
surprise
you.
It
helps
me
to
keep
up-to-date
about
what's
going
on
and
what
the
profession
is
facing,
and
it
exposes
me
to
other
people's
ideas,
problems
and
views.
I
think
this
helps
my
own
company, because I get to look at the bigger picture and find out whether competitors are thinking the same way as us.
One additional perk is that you may escape paying admission fees for conferences and seminars - that's more significant if you're an independent or in a small company where such costs aren't lost in the great scheme of things.
Undoubtedly, two of the best things about committee work are the recognition for your contribution from others in the
industry, and the receipt of the occasional Christmas card (in the office) which may have been sent with true feelings rather
than in an attempt to get new
business...
And lastly there's the certain
camaraderie of the AGM, and the
satisfaction of watching the git
who always stands up and asks
a supposedly awkward question
about misuse of finances and
then volunteering to be the one
who squashes him with a wellaimed
statistic. Splat.
See - there's your adrenalin rush in the most unlikely of places ;) Who wants to be floating in a tin
can far above the world, or stepping out onto the pitch at Wembley to the roar of 100,000 voices anyway?
I
hate
my
job
...
on a market research committee
After a while, all the things that
seemed advantages at first begin
to reveal themselves as the
downside of committee work: - Spending lots of time with a
bunch of fellow market
researchers. Ugh!
- Having lots of time to discuss
research issues - when you could
be discussing the Ashes, your
holidays or the Antiques
Roadshow. Or anything else,
really.
- Giving up my own time for
the good of the market research
industry - I ask you!
- Drinking wine and eating
nibbles for hours on end... not
exactly healthy, slimming or -
after the third bowl of Bombay
mix is filled and emptied - particularly conducive to general
good feeling.
Even so, there are worse things
than these about being on an
MR committee. Worse is getting
lumbered with minute-taking,
which means one can't even
switch off in the boring bits.
Worse is leaving the office midafternoon
to travel up to town
for committee meetings,
watched by colleagues who think
you're knocking off for the day
when actually you will get home
four hours after them.
Worse is coming up against paid
staff of professional bodies who
put in less time and effort than
the volunteers on the committee.
Worse still is being short of time,
which by definition all committee volunteers are. Work gets in the
way of committee activities...
Committee activities get in the
way of work... A private life gets
in the way of both... and after
all this, not getting the
recognition one deserves.
Public meetings are one of our
raisons d'etre, and afford plenty
of scope for depression. I hate
organising public meetings only
to have it snow. I hate organising
public meetings only to have
London Underground go on
strike. I hate organising public
meetings only to have terrorist
activity bring the capital to a
standstill. And I have no time at
all for members who are put off
attending public meetings by the
weather/a strike/the odd bomb.
But
worst
of
all
is
a
moment
that
occurs
about
two
or
three
times
a
year,
when
you
realise
you
have
spent
the
last
thirty
minutes
arguing
over
whether
or
not
to
apportion
to
some
head
of
expenditure
a
miniscule
sum
of
money,
which
any
one
of
the
ten
relatively
senior
and
highpowered
execs
sitting
round
the
table
would
have
earned
in
about
45
seconds
flat,
but
which
the
statutes
and
procedures
hereintofore
appended
to
the
association's
lengthy
constitution
require
you
to
debate
until
a
two
thirds
majority
is
reached,
blah
blah
blah,
and
that
as
a
result
of
this
pointless
delay
you
have
missed
your
train,
your
favourite
TV
program,
last
orders
at
Burger
King
and
the
chance
to
spend
a
little
quality
time,
for
once,
with
your
family,
and
you
feel
the
great
weight
of
boredom
and
bureaucracy
smothering
the
life
out
of
you
like
a
grey,
congealing
mass
of
insulating
foam.
What
am
I
doing,
perpetuating
all
this
by
helping
out
on
a
market
research
committee?
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