The Pencil System is Good But The Jungle Is The Law
The pencil system is good. The rules are simple. I’m sure it evolved naturally; no one called a meeting and started it. It came around because its a fairly good model of how people work. We should keep it.
In practice, it’s nuanced & complex. The balance of power swings fully & unexpectedly, causing thrills and upsets.
The game, as I understand it.
You. You start. You call me. You have a ‘maybe’ job on the horizon. You know I can do it & you want to make a booking. You can’t literally make the booking right now.
Me. I like the sound of the job. It’s my kind of work and I’m available. I want it.
Client. The client is doing whatever it is they do. They will either screw it up or close the deal. We’re not privy to that. But it will be them, and not us, that sets the whole thing in motion.
Us. We have entered a pact; if u win so do I, and for this I accept, forsaking all others. We are a team. We wait.
That is the pencil I want;
There’s good tension
There’s plenty at steak.
There’s Active engagement
If we lost that battle, we could still win the war. I will value your next pencil. The trust is there.
When a pencil is good, it’s barely required. We’re gearing up. Other suitors will be naturally discouraged by the sensed lack of urgency & will go elsewhere. The law of the jungle exerts itself.
Conversely, let’s look at an unsuccessful arrangement; there is no job in particular, you start the process ‘just in case’. You cast the net far and wide like a big cosy comfort blanket; you’re covered. No judging, it makes sense. I would do that. But it doesn't work. This is the bad pencil;
It’s characterised by a lack of urgency, which comes through loud and clear.
Nobody feels valued & responses are tailored to match [law of the jungle]
If the Job of the Year shows up whilst I am on a long and pointless inactive pencil, I am going to send an email telling you I am no longer available.
What was the point? There was no work and no cover. This bad pencil might as well not have existed.
The pencil system is really common sense, which is itself a self-righting factor. Any operator who is ignored on a pencil can simply lower his/her commitment to match yours. Abuse can be easily countered, making the whole low level arrangement a bit of a farce.
Let’s try this
If I give you a pencil, that’s a big deal. You get first refusal and a measure of control over my diary, and my income.
In return, I expect a high level of engagement. If communication drops off, so does commitment. You will not be covered.
There are no second pencils. If u do not have a first, the operator retains complete control, there is no transparency, so they have zero value to you, as employer.
If the Job of the Year shows up, I will call you to discuss. The course of action we decide to take will be determined by the combined total of our common sense - hopefully your will be the Job of the year!