Energy trading cards

March 3, 2003
This energy reporter has collected his fair share of business cards in 41/2 years of covering the oil and gas industry for Oil & Gas Journal.

Steven Poruban
Senior Staff Writer

This energy reporter has collected his fair share of business cards in 41/2 years of covering the oil and gas industry for Oil & Gas Journal.

All told, the innumerable conferences attended and face-to-face interviews conducted have harvested enough 2-in. by 31/2-in. pieces of personalized cardstock to wallpaper a good-sized office wall, or at the very least, a substantial portion of one.

Now, I recognize that this modest card collection probably wouldn't hold a candle to those in the possession of some of the various editors and advertising salespeople that populate OGJ's Houston office and elsewhere, particularly those who have worked for the Journal for more years or those who travel more frequently and tend to meet more people.

But I digress.

Getting organized

Not long ago, the requirement for a more innovative organizational system for this ever-growing card collection appeared unavoidable: the unwieldy mass of cards stashed inside a cavernous desk drawer, in addition to needlessly congesting an otherwise useful cubicle, had—alas—become more of an informational handicap than any kind of aid.

Despite having a majority of my key contacts' phone numbers and addresses already stored in electronic format on the trusty PC, I was always envious of other colleagues' card-storage methods. Their systems appeared more tactile, sturdy. Cards were taped to paper leaves that were affixed to circular filing systems.

Their systems sat unwaveringly on their desks right beside their phones.

Their systems were ready at a moments' notice.

Their systems exuded journalistic reliability.

Therefore, on one particularly slow news day (a rare occasion indeed), the mass of cards was painstakingly alphabetized by company name. Upon conclusion of this task, the realization was reached that the now neatly towering stack of cards would, in fact, require bifurcation. After all, to the best of my knowledge, some cards still contained current, valid contact information while others, despairingly, did not.

As the cards were sorted, certain questions surfaced: What company has so-and-so gone to work for again after being laid off? Is the area code for so-and-so's phone number still correct? At what conference did I meet so-and-so anyway?

Before getting organized, these questions needed to be answered.

Getting updated

Surprisingly, once the two piles of cards were formed—those known to show correct information and those with some shades of doubt—they rose to nearly equal heights.

Curious. This simple microcosmic demonstration had illustrated something unintended from the start: Individuals in the oil and gas business move around—or get laid off—just as often as in any other industry, if not more so. Sad comment on the economic times, it was thought at the time.

A few calls then were made.

"Is so-and-so available, please?"

"He's no longer with the company. Can I connect you with his replacement?"

That won't be necessary, but thanks anyway.

Another call.

"Good morning, so-and-so. I remember meeting you briefly last year when you spoke at that conference about this-and-such."

"Sorry, that's no longer my area of expertise with this company. Can I connect you with my replacement?"

No, that won't be necessary, but thanks anyway.

This was going to be harder than previously thought.

Very few from the incorrect pile of cards were salvageable. These were simply discarded—contacts perhaps never to be contacted again.

Although it goes without saying that the world's workplace is perpetually in a state of flux, a frustrated feeling settled in. The oil and gas industry was no less susceptible than any other industry to the constant ebb and flow of its workforce.

So, was this divisional exercise even worth the time?

You bet. Now my contacts' cards are taped to paper leaves that are affixed to a circular filing system atop my desk beside my phone.

And it provided yet another Journally Speaking topic for one deadline-crazed and increasingly desperate OGJ staffer.