Nearly everyone is aware of the ‘Chatham House Rule”, a guiding principle which allows those observing it to be able to speak openly in a closed discussion knowing that their fellow participants will not attribute what that have said.
“When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.”
However, it’s the other Chatham House Rule I want to talk about, one I’ve made up entirely - the importance of immersing yourself into an activity or passion which although not being essential to your day-to-day work provides inspiration and intellectual nourishment. For me that was becoming a member of Chatham House - hence my description. I joined early in 2021 as a pandemic treat.
I few weeks into my membership and Henry Kissinger was sitting live in my living room discussing the world. Okay it was a livestream but it still had impact. I quickly found out that Chatham House had grasped the opportunities that virtual and then hybrid events offered their membership. Uniquely they never suffered technically hitches and participation was encouraged whatever your proximity to the speaker. As restrictions eased in-person events, conferences and receptions returned..
All in all it’s been money well spent and here are my 8 observations. Based on my experience but I think applicable to other activities.
(1) If you are the dumbest person in the room you cannot help but learn. Being surrounded by smart people is both challenging and refreshing. Experts are just that.
(2) 280 (Twitter doubled it) characters are never enough. In an age when the media will boil things down to the lowest common denominator long-form answers are a joy to listen to.
(3) Debate is essential. Witnessing and being part of a discussion is essential. In the absence of editing points are unvarnished and developed fully.
(4) Widening your perspective never goes wrong. Selecting a different topic can give you a fresh view on something you already are familiar with (or think you are) and provide understanding of something different.
(5) Physical presence is still essential. Language is much more than speech. If you can be in the room, be there.
(6) Don’t allow being busy as an excuse to ease off on external interests. They are not ‘nice to do’ but essential to maintaining balance and personal growth.
(7) Make the effort to leave the occasion with at least one new contact.
(8) Take anything you have learnt and share it with people who you know will be interested
With a return to “normality”, busier schedules and competing interests it is more important than ever to carve out time for a passion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Izatt is a brand consultant living in London and founder of Mission Critical, a highly focused and curated weekly briefing for time-poor and information-hungry decision-makers. He also produces THE DAILY, a complimentary weekday new briefing and you can sign-up here. No spam, just short and sharp.