Office Talk: "Hit the Ground Running"

In early December 2006, I copied my business partner Rebekah Mitchell on a proposal that I sent to a prospective client. In the proposal, I used the unfortunate phrase, hit the ground running. Rebekah replied, "is that a military term, or possibly the next subject for Office Talk?"

I learned several things from this experience. One, my partner is capable of being a real smarty-pants; good to know next time I am reviewing material for this column. Two, I am as likely as the next person to use an office cliche (which I knew already, but it was nice to be reminded -- not). Three, I was quite concerned about the month of January, a time I was certain would be challenging for the agency because practically all our clients would be coming back from vacation with big plans for the New Year. I had written the new-business proposal knowing it would be difficult to begin the new year with a brand new client unless we could start the work with them in December.

Hit the ground running is one of those office cliches that suggest we have fantasies that our work is physically -- if not just professionally -- perilous. In the first few months of writing this column, I explored the secret life of the marketing person, whose typical day involves drinking from a fire hose, putting out fires, causing the earth to quake beneath his client's feet. Fires, earthquakes, brainstorms ... it's a dangerous life. And it conjures up fantasies of the truly heroic professions of our time -- firefighting and disaster recovery (disasters, of course, that we cause). So it is not surprising that we should fantasize about another heroic profession -- paratrooping, which appears to be the origin of the phrase hit the ground running (though some people believe the phrase was once used to describe less heroic, though romantic, pasttimes like jumping off trains, and running errands for the Pony Express). Hit the ground running captures the excitement of being called into battle, and it's the kind of excitement that's missing in the life of the average office worker.

But I find this analysis unsatisfying. Office workers -- particularly marketing consultants -- are all prone to daydreaming, true. But there aren't very many Walter Mitty's among us; daydreaming of that kind would be hazardous to one's professional health. A more plausible explanation of why we like the phrase hit the ground running is that the life of a marketing consultant guarantees he will almost always be moving at a different rate of speed from each of his clients. And, in the age of globalization, a near-perfect metaphor for expressing that different rate of speed is the spinning of the globe. When you drop in on client territory, and are forced to adapt to the speed at which things are progressing (or not progressing), you might very well get a sensation of the ground moving beneath you. And if you are unprepared, you will not be able to catch up with the folks on location. Which is why we always ask for time to prepare (my request in December).

But, by the way, have you ever actually tried to hit the ground running? Most of us, of course, will never get the opportunity to do it from a plane. But next time you are on a carousel, skip off the platform early -- as early as it is safe -- and give it a try. Not only is it difficult to hit the ground running. It is difficult to maintain your balance. As I said, we're in a dangerous business. Maybe not heroic, maybe not romantic. But dangerous indeed.

NEXT MONDAY ON OFFICE TALK: "TRANSPARENCY"

Comments

[Miss Moxie]

i am actually fond of "hit the ground running." to me, it provides a clear visual of activity, where sayings like 'open the kimono' or 'push the envelope' may not be as visual as they are literal. plus, it transcends beyond the PR lingo where even (mon dieu!) a client not PR savvy would understand. one i would like to explore - 'jump the shark.'

[Giovanni Rodriguez]

"Jump the shark"? That's new to me. I'll keep my ears open for that one.

[Martin Waxman]

Jump the shark harkens back to an episode of 'Happy Days', when Arthur Fonzarelli (AKA the Fonz) actually jumps over a shark on waterskis as a stunt. It's since come to mean: "A defining moment when you know your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on...it's all downhill." Check out www.jumptheshark.com the source of that quote. I wonder if (when) the blogosphere will jump the shark? Any thoughts?

[SGT P]

I don't think that the business world has the right to take our lingo and use it as their own. Our way of life does not compare to yours in any way shape or form. You know absolutely nothing about what we mean when we say "hit the ground running". Please, find another phrase to sum up what you are trying to explain here. We don't have much. Don't take our lingo. It really does mean the world to us.
SGT P