Operating Manual
My Foundation & Motivation
Great Journalism
What I most care about is creating great journalism beyond the hyperbole and platitudes. That's why it's so important to have a shared understanding of the purpose of a venture.
Be honest with me about what you want to achieve, and I'll be your closest ally, helping you maximize the relevance and resonance of your venture.
Sparring Partner
I am your sparring partner, so let's spar to get it right. I love to be challenged. Question me, make me think and allow me to challenge your thinking.
Shared Understanding
It can be hard to decide what to do when the problem spaces of media strategy and organizational change are so unclear. That's why I really want to make sure we have a shared understanding of what you want to achieve.
This ensures we both understand what success looks like and can track progress effectively. Hold me accountable for clarity. I will, too. That said, I am invested in your success and am always happy to discuss a change of scope when needed.
Psychological Safety
A lot of my work has centered on restructuring news operations. That can be really, really hard, because this is a tough moment for media. Believe me. If you feel you're struggling, know that you're not alone.
The thing is that working harder may not work. Changed circumstances may require to work differently.
Creating an environment where you feel comfortable sharing thoughts and concerns without fear of negative consequences is essential. We will work through this and I'll support you.
What I Do
Advising/Research
In more than a decade in journalism, I've found that my greatest skill is seeing opportunity in media ventures that others don't tend to see. As a media manager, it can be hard to do see those opportunities when there is a constant stream of tasks and challenges to overcome.
With Gazzetta, I work with newsrooms on:
- Audience research
- News product and format development
- Newsroom transformation and restructuring
- Censorship, surveillance, and autocratic resilience
Workshops and Conferences
I love speaking at conferences and doing workshops, but it’s also work to prepare and take the time to speak. If the conference charges for attendance or if the organizers are paid to host, I usually expect a speaker's fee. If the conference is free and open to the public, I don't charge.
Coaching and Mentoring
I have been blessed by kind and generous mentors, and love to pay this forward. If you are a student or a professional acquaintance trying to figure something out in your personal career development, claim a slot in my Calendly. I'm here for you.
Communication
There is never enough communication for me. Always share your thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Ideally, communicate via Signal, email, or any shared Slack, or Discord. If you have other preferences, let me know.
Contact Info
- Email: mail@pboehler.net
PGP: 3A64 0E80 1C29 10DC 64FF 38A1 A962 59D6 2FC3 B9FC - Signal: patrickb.01
- Calendly to schedule meetings
Scheduling Meetings
Feel free to reach out to me at any time. I will always respond as soon as possible. Please schedule meetings through Calendly. My favorite collaborators claim a slot a week in advance with an agenda, allowing me to plan and prepare.
Regular Check-Ins
Regular check-ins are vital for maintaining alignment and addressing any issues promptly. I prefer to schedule these at consistent intervals to ensure we stay on track, ideally bi-weekly.
Asynchronous Work
I love working asynchronously on documents, ideally using Google Docs. Please always track changes and feel free to leave comments.
Digital Security
Because of my work, I have been a target of government-sponsored hacking, impersonation, and trolling. I know how awful this can be, and I take digital security very seriously.
Before we get started, let's go over our communication protocols and setup to make sure it's safe. Digital safety hygiene practices can also lead to greater peace of mind generally.
Feedback Is a Gift
Things I Should Know About You
If there is anything crucial you think I should know about, please share it with me. This helps ensure I can tailor my approach to meet your needs, work style, and communication preferences effectively.
Things You Should Know About Me
If anything bothers you about my communication style or work, please let me know. I appreciate feedback and see it as a sign that you are taking our collaboration seriously. I consider your feedback a gift.
The Nitty-Gritty Work of Contracting
Typically, consultants don't share this. I'd like to for the sake of transparency and uniformity. If it doesn't work for you, let me know and we'll find a way to address it.
Rule of Thumb for Charging
Given the personal connections I have with many of you, it can sometimes be tricky to know when to charge and when to chat.
My rule of thumb: If it's for work-related matters (not private topics like pugs, travel, food), I am happy to have a 30-minute call for free to discuss potential collaboration. Beyond that, I may need to ask for payment.
That's because a lot of this work may seem obvious and easy once done, but that comes from years of experience and building expertise in these matters.
Billing Preferences
For bigger projects, I don’t like billing by the hour because it requires justifying every action, which can become incredibly time-consuming for reporting purposes.
Instead, I bill by the day, with a half-day minimum. My proposals clearly outline outcomes and the days needed to achieve milestones and desired results.
For clients who work with me on brainstorming through their strategy challenges, they tend to have a larger contract with me, and then we do invoicing based on hours used. That normally saves time.
Typical Contracting Process
- Discussion: We start with a free discussion of problem and solution spaces.
- Statement of Work: I will provide a statement of work for your review in a free presentation, typically including four phases:
- Discovery: understand your problem space
- Design: craft a solution or plan
- Execution: execute or assist you in execution
- Feedback: iterate on new insights gained
- Contract: Based on your feedback, we aim to then reach an agreement and a contract that includes deliverables and milestones.
- Milestones: Milestones are set from the start and are tied to payments.
Closing Notes
This Operating Manual is designed to ensure a smooth and productive working relationship. Like any good system, it may need updates and revisions over time. Thank you for reading!