Those negotiations...

You may remember I was trying to negotiate something on a project I've been involved with. This is just a little update on that. When I last posted on it, I was trying to talk sense into one of the funders.


I have since realised that was a mistake.


Some years ago, I was on a project that was created by someone who I felt was exeptionally talented. During the project, every time this person got some news they didn't like, or was given some direction, notes or a suggestion, he would go away, get drunk and then write an angry email.


He would throw a cyber-tantrum.


I'm sure back in the day, he probably threw plain ol' regular tantrums. The result of this was that everybody tip-toed around him, doing their best to keep him happy to avoid being on the receiving end of one of his attacks.


You see, my mistake was trying to be reasonable. Trying to actually provoke thought. Trying to show what should be obvious. But I found I was dealing with people who simply don't know enough about what they are talking about and just don't care to learn. They hired someone who they perceived to be an expert in his field, and then proceeded to sabotage any effort he made to do his job. Not through maliciousness. Just through a lack of understanding.


But the unwillingness to learn rendered the negotiations pointless. And being reasonable must have come across as, I don't know, weak perhaps.


So I was left with little choice but to live up to the 'creative' personality, throw a hissy fit, smash up the phone and refuse point blank to deal with certain people again. I am no longer in negotiations. I am mid-tantrum.


And, so far, it seems to be working.

In negotiations

The inevitable end to the story

Red Pill Junkie left a comment on the last post. You should read it. I like the attitude of "The Tiger" he mentions in the comment: "If people want shit, I give them shit". I met a guy years ago who had a multi-millionaire friend. I asked him how he got so rich. Apparently, one day, he just decided to get rich and, to do so, he would put aside all morals. He started in porn imports and went from there.


I've done that in the past. Not imported porn, but given people the shit they asked for in the knowledge that I was being paid and I was keeping a client happy.


But I can only do it with projects I don't care about. And it's on the projects I do care about that I do my best work, not just for me but for the clients, and especially for the audiences. And, in this business, you're really only as good as your last job. If I give people shit, I'll be the guy who does shit.


And that has to negatively affect my career.


I don't do shit. I haven't done for some time and don't plan on doing so again any time soon. As Red Pill Junkie asks, what point do you walk away?

Now I need help

Here's one area where 'Life Stinks. Now Fix It!' won't help me. It's the 'a' category of self-development - people skills, or how to persuade your fellow man to get what you want.

I have a problem. An all too familiar problem. The, eh, 'client' (not really a client, more of a minority partner in the venture but for the purposes of business, client will do) wanted one thing. I wanted another.

Client wouldn't budge but actually seemed to have some clue as to what they were doing and why they wanted what they wanted so... I agreed to give them what they wanted. Somewhat reluctantly but I made peace with the decision and actually grew to like what it was... that thing they wanted.

You can see what's coming next, right?

Anyone who has been in this business or probably even any business has to know what's coming next.

They changed their mind. Yeah, what they wanted wasn't what they wanted any more. What they wanted became something that was a bit of what they previously wanted and a bit of something entirely different. Like asking for a fine wine, then chucking in half a pint of beer into it in an attempt to hook the beer drinkers. A recipe for success? Or something entirely undrinkable.

And I can't in all good conscience give them what they want. Because what they want is a poxy piece of crap. It's a job I really wanted to do but I have to now talk them round to either what I originally wanted or what they originally wanted or I have to walk away and let it go.

Ah, yes, stuck in the 'giving what they want until they change their minds on what they want' trap. It's all too familiar. This is where I need one of those self-development 'how to shaft your fellow man' books.