I’ve been a bit hard on HR people recently – mainly because I was fed up of many of them ‘pretending’ to care [about people] when they so obviously don’t.
Well all that has changed because I’ve finally come across an HR person who doesn’t hide from the fact ‘moaning employees’ get right on his tits!
Let me explain …
In industry magazine Media, they have a section called “24 HOURS WITH …”
On first impressions, it looks like a column where people list what they do on an average day at work – however the reality is its role is to satisfy the delusional fantasy of ad-folk – making them feel everything they do is of interest to the wider World.
Most of the time what these people claim to do … if you can be bothered to read the column … sounds like complete bollocks.
You get the overriding impression it’s been written by some poor sap in the creative department with the brief: MAKE ME SOUND LIKE I PLAY HARD BUT AM EMOTIONALLY AWARE AND FUNNY. I NEED TO LOOK REALLY, REALLY FUNNY.
So instead of getting the truth like …
7am Wake up and cry.
9am Drag myself into work. Sit at my computer and blog.
1pm Food. Lots and lots of food.
2pm Another little cry. Sit at my desk starring at the computer.
6pm Do time sheet before heading home. It’s raining.
8pm Eat, watch television, mutter 2 words to the other half.
11pm Go to bed. Read “Soulless Life”. Realise it’s about me. Cry.
12am Take overdose of Prozac. Go to sleep. It’s nice here.
… you get things like …
5am Wake up and stretch before going for my 15km run. Home, shower, make an amazingly tasty breakfast for my entire family then drive my kids to school.
8am Answer really important international emails. It’s tough, but I thrive on responsibility.
1pm Quick healthy snack before I brief my huge team on a really important international pitch. Which I am leading. Of course.
2pm Write 173 different presentations – in 16 different languages. My team look at me in awe. And so they should.
6pm Little meeting with some colleagues at the local ‘watering hole’. [Haha, I am so witty, I’m really having a glass of wine!]
8pm Home. Bath the kids then help with their homework. I cook the pasta dish I had when I was holidaying in Tuscany. My family love it. And me. Then we sit and talk about philosophy. I love being an intellectual.
11pm Satisfy my partner with the sort-of love making they used to dream about as a teenager. Answer 846 emails on my Blackberry. Lots of major decisions to make, but that’s what happens when you’re a mover and shaker.
4am Thank Buddha for my day, do some yoga then drift off to sleep – excited about my life and the day ahead.
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Anyway, the reason for all this is because in this weeks 24 HOURS WITH column, not only have I found someone who tells the absolute truth [a.k.a. HR person who doesn’t like ‘moaners’] but he expresses it in such a way that you’d swear it came straight from Matt Beaumont’s brilliant book, ‘e‘
Ladies and gentleman, it gives me the greatest of pleasure to introduce you to the brilliant Sangsoo Chong and the key moments of his day.
I want to break free? That’s a Queen song … I wonder if he likes them?
Well as I suspected, he is very musical. Or perverted.
Wonder if Oral-B are clients of his?
YES … YES … my Korean buddy is a Queen fan.
Must admit, it’s not one of my favourite songs, but us Queen fans must stick together …
This book was actually written by my friend who is passionate about increasing the knowledge in Asian advertising.
Sangsoo obviously takes his job seriously given he is going to translate the whole thing for his Korean colleagues.
He’s more than just HR, he’s a trainer too! What a guy!
See. I told you he was honest!
He could of pretended his heart was aching in sympathy for his Creative Director colleague but no – he makes it very clear that he thinks the guy/girl is a wuss and they should pull themselves together and do some work to make his agency some more cash.
I particularly like the way he ends it with ‘IT STARTS SNOWING’ as if that is the only significant moment from the whole episode. I like this guy. I really, really like this guy.
I knew he was a softy really. Sure he played Mr Tough with that Creative Director, but my guess is he/she deserved it.
OK, so the sleepless art directors would probably of preferred to have gone to bed – but as our hero knows – that won’t create a real team atmosphere so instead he takes them out, gets them pissed and treats them to a song.
[Probably ‘I Want To Break Free’ or ‘Tunes From My Oral-B Toothbrush’]
Ahhhhh, so maybe he can’t be that arsed translating the book for his colleagues. But then it is late and he has been out drinking for hours.
He could of pretended to work through the night, but no – he went with honesty. Brilliant. He’s far too good for adland!
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I love this man … I genuinely love him.
Sure I might not want to go to him with any personal problems, but interms of hanging out he’s up there with the best.
All this goes to show that people/brands who tell the blunt truth can become far more powerful and adored than those who just spout out their marketing bollocks. [But then I would say that wouldn’t I, ha!]
Sangsoo, you rock … and I hope you take this post the manner it is meant because it is one of genuine praise and gratitude.
[Even though it is easy to find out, I’ve purposely not mentioned the company Sangsoo works for, incase some idiot there takes offence to this post and he gets in trouble – something I would never wish to happen to him]