Those familiar with this blog know all too my main complaint with my current client. That complaint is – they don’t plan. They are so disorganized that if a tornado swept through the place, it would probably leave the place in a better condition than ever before.
So, I’m scouring the globe – looking for my next big client to replace the current gig. Often I’ll look for another contract to replace a client that isn’t pulling their weight. Sometimes though – I’ve been known just to run away. Can’t take it anymore, I need a holiday. So I’ll take a month or two off to recover, relax, and contemplate what went wrong and how to avoid getting into a similar situation.
See – it’s all about the plan. When I have a successful contract, I’ll analyze that too, so that I know what went right and capture those details in future contracts. When things go badly, I look at what to avoid in future contracts, and how to quickly make my exit.
Most businesses these days understand the importance of planning. So I was shocked, stupefied, even slightly mesmerized when I was interviewing a potential client and they told me they don’t plan.
“Oh, we do start with the product life cycle, but then, things get lost along the way and we just do our own thing,” said the potential client. “You know how it is with creative people; we tend to beat to our own drum.”
“But don’t you miss things?” I asked. “Don’t things get left out?”
“Oh yeah, all the time,” the potential client responded matter-of-factly. “We get by.”
Sheesh! And things were going all so well. This potential client is a mega-big financial services firm – one of the biggest in the country. We were both talking the same talk and walking the same walk for most of the meeting. There seemed to be such a good fit.
And then the hatch blew open and out fell one hell of a bomb on my parade.
“People usually just rush around, and hand things off to others to complete as needed,” the potential client confessed.
Sounds like the exact same problem I’m trying to escape from my current client. Things just land in my lap literally, and they are expected to be done right away.
Tuesday morning, I had several “rush” emails and about 10 people at my desk, all demanding this that and the next thing be done. And I am all but one person. But because there are no plans, no deadlines and no realistically achievable goals, everything just happens. And sometimes, when things just happen, they just all happen at the same time.
I actually came pretty close to just walking out of my current client’s offices middle of the day on Tuesday, and not ever going back. I thought about walking out – after that line up of rushed, last-minute, unplanned, and disorganized assignments funneled its way to my desk all at once.
But I took a walk outside, got some fresh air, and just calmed down. Instead of trying to explain to each individual why I couldn’t do their specific task at the moment, I just went about doing what I could.
I learned the hard way that it doesn’t matter how hard you explain that you can’t do what they want now – and that they should have planned things better – they don’t care. They are like children in need of a good spanking. They cry, they moan, they wail – the world will end of I don’t do as they ask.
Let it end. I’ll still at least have my sanity and dignity.
The only way to deal with non-planners is to nod politely, pretending you give a crap, and then turn around and carry on with your day.
Too bad about the potential client meeting – they had it all – almost – except that one vital ingredient that separates the good gigs from the bad ones. Planning.
Now my concern here is – is this a growing trend in the workplace? Have people given up on common sense? Or was this just a random act of similarity – where most companies plan, I just happened upon the one other one that doesn’t?
For the sake of the world – and my sanity – I’m hoping the later is the truism.
So, I’m scouring the globe – looking for my next big client to replace the current gig. Often I’ll look for another contract to replace a client that isn’t pulling their weight. Sometimes though – I’ve been known just to run away. Can’t take it anymore, I need a holiday. So I’ll take a month or two off to recover, relax, and contemplate what went wrong and how to avoid getting into a similar situation.
See – it’s all about the plan. When I have a successful contract, I’ll analyze that too, so that I know what went right and capture those details in future contracts. When things go badly, I look at what to avoid in future contracts, and how to quickly make my exit.
Most businesses these days understand the importance of planning. So I was shocked, stupefied, even slightly mesmerized when I was interviewing a potential client and they told me they don’t plan.
“Oh, we do start with the product life cycle, but then, things get lost along the way and we just do our own thing,” said the potential client. “You know how it is with creative people; we tend to beat to our own drum.”
“But don’t you miss things?” I asked. “Don’t things get left out?”
“Oh yeah, all the time,” the potential client responded matter-of-factly. “We get by.”
Sheesh! And things were going all so well. This potential client is a mega-big financial services firm – one of the biggest in the country. We were both talking the same talk and walking the same walk for most of the meeting. There seemed to be such a good fit.
And then the hatch blew open and out fell one hell of a bomb on my parade.
“People usually just rush around, and hand things off to others to complete as needed,” the potential client confessed.
Sounds like the exact same problem I’m trying to escape from my current client. Things just land in my lap literally, and they are expected to be done right away.
Tuesday morning, I had several “rush” emails and about 10 people at my desk, all demanding this that and the next thing be done. And I am all but one person. But because there are no plans, no deadlines and no realistically achievable goals, everything just happens. And sometimes, when things just happen, they just all happen at the same time.
I actually came pretty close to just walking out of my current client’s offices middle of the day on Tuesday, and not ever going back. I thought about walking out – after that line up of rushed, last-minute, unplanned, and disorganized assignments funneled its way to my desk all at once.
But I took a walk outside, got some fresh air, and just calmed down. Instead of trying to explain to each individual why I couldn’t do their specific task at the moment, I just went about doing what I could.
I learned the hard way that it doesn’t matter how hard you explain that you can’t do what they want now – and that they should have planned things better – they don’t care. They are like children in need of a good spanking. They cry, they moan, they wail – the world will end of I don’t do as they ask.
Let it end. I’ll still at least have my sanity and dignity.
The only way to deal with non-planners is to nod politely, pretending you give a crap, and then turn around and carry on with your day.
Too bad about the potential client meeting – they had it all – almost – except that one vital ingredient that separates the good gigs from the bad ones. Planning.
Now my concern here is – is this a growing trend in the workplace? Have people given up on common sense? Or was this just a random act of similarity – where most companies plan, I just happened upon the one other one that doesn’t?
For the sake of the world – and my sanity – I’m hoping the later is the truism.
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