Yesterday I wrote about being difficult to work with. Today I will continue that strain.
I have had a number of executive leadership dalliances over the years. I've been in charge of big creative departments so I am pushed to have meetings with HR so we can be sure everyone is happy, attrition is low and smiles abound.
Once I had to go to a two-day course on something HR or training (as if I'm a seal or a trick dog) lectured me on not being concrete.
Not being stubborn.
Being egalitarian.
Understanding different work styles.
Listen, understanding different work styles is HR code for accepting lassitude.
Not being stubborn is HR code for letting crappy ideas win and allowing substandard work.
Being egalitarian means putting people's feelings ahead of work.
All the virtues extolled in today's modern agency,
collaborative spirit, being a "bridge builder,"
being "open to creativity no matter where it comes from"
stems from the same spirit of everyone gets a trophy in Little League.
There's one criterion.
Two questions.
Is the work good?
Does the work suck?
the funny thing is that at smaller agencies with somewhat unpolished cultures, but high ceilings as we say, where the quality of the work is paramount, people are often way happier than at larger places where all sort of rules are in place. It's actually easier to live in fear of nothing doing good enough work than living in fear of making some "social" mistake without even knowing it.
ReplyDeletetotally agree with your last line, tore.
ReplyDeleteits the gift of ego and agenda that keeps on giving. even more so when there are multiple layers of those and you are somewhere at the bottom. i love how 'people skills' and what else are required when that is short for being a politician. i know what i think of the next politician and their output.
There is no law that says ad people have to be happy.
ReplyDeleteI can remember how creative advertising was when HR only handled hiring secretaries and benefits.
ReplyDeleteCareful mr t. Your ameriprise work isn't Glass houses, throwing stones. So much for the tough guy stuff. It's a service biz and you cave w the best of them.
ReplyDelete