Get Out While You Can
Sometimes there are creative jobs that your team will be handed that are just plain horrible. They are tasks that have no vision, no strong brand or just require you to work with people that will drain you and your team.
What do you do?
First figure out on the return on your team’s time is. Is it really worth it? Will this open doors to other creative tasks within your company? If the answer is no, then simply get out while you can. I am not saying you should do a half hearted job, I am saying that if the option exists turn down the task. Do everything in your power to get out.
What happens if you don’t? Well, for starters you could end being seen as a leader who does not protect their team. Or your team can be seen as the team that anyone can dump a task on. Either way you lose.
Do what you can to make sure that your team gets jobs that provide future growth and challenges for your team. In the long run your team will thank you for it.
No One Cares
“Well, right now we have a lot going on…”
Clients here this a lot from creatives. It’s a defense mechanism. However, here is the problem.
No one cares.
No one cares that your pipeline is full and you can’t handle much else. No one cares if three other clients have the same needs. No one cares how many hours you have to work. Guess what?
They shouldn’t.
It’s not their job to understand what else you have going on. It’s their job to pay you for the results once you deliver. It’s not there job to care about your well being.
So what do you?
First, you remind your clients that you genuinely care about what they are working on. Let them know that their needs are your needs. Second, do what you can to make yourself a partner with your client. Third, subcontract what you can within reason.
Remember that when no one cares, they shouldn’t. That’s your job.
If You Think You Have It Bad…
There are days when you will want to pull our hair out when dealing with clients. If you haven’t figured this out yet, it’s completely normal to feel this way. In fact there are times when you need to be reminded that you aren’t the only one dealing with clients.
Enter Clients from Hell. This website will make you realize that you have not seen anything when it comes to the craziness that clients can bring to the design world. Clients from Hell contains user submitted stories and conversations that creatives have had with real clients. Most of them will hard to believe. However most of them will have you laughing. Think of it like cheap therapy for client crazed in all of us.
