Filed under: Collaboration, Complicity, Consultants, Corporate Evil, Creativity, Culture, Customer Service, Egovertising, Empathy, Management, Perspective, Professionalism, Relationships, Relevance, Reputation, Resonance, Respect
A few weeks ago, I told a private client I wasn’t going to work with them any more.
We hadn’t worked together very long, but while their team were great, this person wasn’t.
The basic issue was they thought they were paying me to be their servant.
Or more precisely, subservient.
It became very obvious very soon that they thought my job was to:
Agree with what they say.
Do whatever they want or demand.
Be quiet when stupid decisions were being made.
In essence, they thought they were God but unfortunately, I’m an atheist.
So I politely told them I wasn’t the person they needed right now and I wish them the best.
Before I go any further, I totally appreciate the privilege I have being able to do this, but this was never going to work.
They didn’t take it very well and wanted me to spell out why I was walking away.
So I calmly explained that for someone who had failed many times in an area where I had a lot of experience and success – they did not want to acknowledge, discuss or change any element of their approach which was objectively, flawed.
On one level I understood why.
This was their company and so to admit failure would mean having to admit they had failed. Or at least been complicit in it. And that’s hard. No one wants to do that. But I wasn’t doing it to make them feel bad, it was – as is always the case – because I wanted to win better.
Now the reality is for them to act this way towards me meant they had acted this way to others before me … and maybe that’s what this point they started to get pretty rude and personal. Given they were wealthy, they were probably used to getting their own way with companies who are fine with being paid well for complicity.
Now I am no Saint, far from it. I’ve made a cavalcade of bad choices and decisions over my time, which is why I won’t judge anyone who chose to accept their expectations – even if I do feel for whoever was told by their bosses to accept their shit – but, to paraphrase Meatloaf, I will do anything for great, I won’t do that.
No no no no no no no.
As I said, I completely get the privilege of being able to have this attitude.
In many ways, its the very definition of privilege on a multitude of levels.
And while I can’t defend that, for what it’s worth it’s one that has taken years to form – of which becoming a Dad has been a major factor – but I am at a point in my life where valuing my sanity, health, self-respect and whatever reputation I have, is worth more than any of their money.
Which, for me, is maybe a sign of success that I can genuinely feel proud of achieving.
I hope everyone gets the chance to do this.
Not just because of how good it feels, but because everything would be so much better with more honesty rather than ‘commercial harmony’.
[And yes, I know I’m living in delusional land, but it’s nice to dream]