10QUESTIONS with Joel Durkin

Our 10QUESTIONS feature asks members of the Freshfield community ten questions about their working life. Featuring client partners, colleagues and FF friends, our guests share some personal stories, views and fresh words of wisdom.

Our latest guest is Freshfield’s very own Joel Durkin. As Senior PR and Communications Manager, Joel oversees a portfolio of clients in sectors including professional services, property and regeneration and public sector.

How do you like to start your working day?

In the agency world, managing time is crucial, so I start the day by reviewing my to-do list and planning and prioritising accordingly. I then like to dive straight in, usually into planning a major news announcement or writing a piece of creative content. I’m at my most productive in the mornings and often get a lot done in that first hour when the office, and the inbox, is generally quieter.

Where and how do you come up with your best ideas?

We have the flexibility at Freshfield to work wherever is best on a given day, whether that’s in the office, at home, with a client, or elsewhere. I find I come up with the majority of my new ideas while working from home, then execute these with the team in the office. For example, I may have a new campaign idea when working from home one day, then we have a team planning meeting the following day to develop the idea further.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

I’m not sure where it came from, but I’ve heard it repeatedly during my career:

“When at home, be at home.”

In the past three years, I’ve been lucky enough to get married and become a father. It’s given added importance to ensuring separation between my professional and home life – where sometimes an hour or so in the evening may be the only quality time we’re able to spend together as a family each day. This short saying helps me remember what’s important.

What does leadership mean to you?

I think good leadership is about honesty – whether that’s with a colleague or a client. Whether giving praise or tackling a negative, sharing honest feedback in a constructive way helps get the best out of everyone and is always the best option in the long run.

What’s your top tip for achieving a work-life balance?

Spend a bit of time at the end of each work day planning for the next one. Once I’ve closed the laptop, written my to-do list (I’m still a massive fan of pen and paper for a list!) and completed any final tasks for the day, I know I’m prepared for the following day which helps me switch off for the evening or weekend.

I also find real benefit in the act of physically getting away from the workplace – whether that’s the office or home. During periods of annual leave, it’s rare I don’t go away for a few days with the family. During the weekend, I’m usually out and about spending time with family or friends. Even during lunchtime, I will also find time to get away from my desk for a walk – even if it’s just for five minutes.

Which current or historical business figure do you most admire and why?

Not so much a historical figure, but I’ve long been a real admirer of Warren Buffet. Over an 80-year investing career, he’s steadily grown his fortune to become one of the wealthiest people in the US, which he has done through sticking to the same key investment principles.

I’m a huge admirer of this self-belief but also his openness about the mistakes he has made along the way and how he has learned from them.

What is your most trusted source of news?

The BBC. People have varying opinions on the BBC’s neutrality but for me it’s been the most trusted news source in the UK since its formation.

I’m also a long-term subscriber to The Athletic for sports news. I’m a real believer in paying for news when I think it is good value for money and I find The Athletic is head and shoulders above many other news outlets for its football reporting, built on old-fashioned journalistic principles of having strong contacts and breaking news in a moral and considerate way.

What is your favourite brand and why?

Fred Perry. Almost constantly since its formation, Fred Perry has been associated with a variety of different subcultures, some of which have divided opinion and threatened the brand’s image. However, the company has rarely changed the look or ideologies of its brand in response to outside influences. The simple polos with the iconic wreath logo are timeless!

What’s the most recent new skill you have learnt?

It isn’t so recent but over the past few years I’ve developed a real love of gardening. It’s great to be outside and put effort into something which then rewards you months or even years down the line.

We all use them… what management jargon phrase do you use the most?

I like to believe I don’t use jargon phrases until they creep into my personal life and my wife picks me up on them!

I think ‘loop in’ or ‘loop back’ are probably among my most frequently used.