You know, the divas… (male and female!), the demanding self-appointed stars.
They come to us, looking for support and then let their attitude and ego get in the way.
It is when dealing with clients and stakeholders of this nature that we – the managers, agents, promoters, and PR people of the world – often ask ourselves “why don’t they just help us to help them?”
The entertainment industry is one of people skills and collaboration. The better you can work with others, the better you can forward your own career - in my humble opinion. After all, very few of us can operate all aspects of our lives and careers without support.
So why not make it easy for those employed to help you to, well…help you?
I can’t even begin to fathom why anyone would think that being negative and overly demanding is a good career or project strategy. Sure, there is something to be said for demanding a certain level of quality for yourself and those that work around you. Success often comes from making your standards clear to everyone involved in your project. However, there is a significant difference between having standards and simply being difficult.
Here’s a short list of traits to help you work out if you’re being difficult to work with.
1. Are you demanding for things that clearly can’t be provided by those working with you? E.g, demanding Champagne on a Beer budget.
2. Do you only say thank you at the end of a project?
3. Do you think that inspiring fear in the rest of the team is a good thing?
4. When a project ends, are you friends or enemies with everyone else involved?
5. How much project time do you spend being supremely dissatisfied by EVERYTHING?
6. How often do you start conversations by screaming at another member of the team?
7. Have you punched a colleague?
8. When was the last time that you attacked someone for failing to provide you with a basket of warm puppies to dry your hands on?
Okay, so I’m mostly taking the piss but honestly, in an industry where you spend most of your time dealing with people, being a people person really helps. We – the managers, agents, promoters, and the likes of this world – are here to help your vision become a reality to the best of our ability. Please keep a grasp on your budget and what it will afford you.
And please, please do not spend the whole project fighting us.
If you have a problem, please come and talk to us, there’s almost always a way to solve it. If you’re inventing problems, just take a moment to remind yourself of the reality of your situation. Ask yourself: ‘Am I confusing luxury with the essential?’ And if your ideas are bigger than your means, be prepared to compromise. You’ll get there eventually, but not if you make enemies of everyone you work with.
Because at the end of the day, would you want to help someone who is making your life difficult?
Exactly!
By Monique and Rowan
