Monday, September 22, 2008

Once in a while.

In this business, and I suppose in life, every so often you work with an honest-to-goodness genius. The people way out on the right end of the bell curve. Most often these people are tremendously frustrating. They aren't good about doing what's asked. Doing it on time. Being sensitive to people around them who are not as capacious as they. They stink, usually, in dealing with those who do not see the god in the details that the geniuses have slaved so hard over.

There's more. HR hates these people because they aren't "bridge builders." Account often hates them too, because they push, they make demands and they think, often brilliantly, while on their feet. They make demands that strain infrastructure of the agency and the client--all to produce a better product. Often a better product than anyone wants.

Usually these people get canned after about two years. Too many feathers ruffled, bridges nuked and status quos upset.

There must be a Latin aphorism somewhere that says, "Pity the different for they are all alone." But I couldn't find one.

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