The 10 People Who Suck
Just heard about a new business book entitled, "The 10 People Who Suck: A Positive Prescription for Improving Communication In the Workplace." It happens to have been co-authored by a former intern of mine, so it already has a special place in my heart, but it also seems to me to be a smart concept.
I haven’t read it yet, but I love the list, and it certainly applies to the communications industry quite nicely. I’ve listed all 10 below, and given my view of how such people can impact a business. I wonder how close I am to saying what the authors have said …
The Slacker - In the PR world, we are ultimately paid by the hour, even if sometimes we bill according to project or monthly retainer. If one member of the account team is not carrying his weight, it puts tremendous pressure on the other team members to work even more efficiently. But what’s interesting about our industry is that someone who has strong media relations skills can actually be quite productive and still fit into this category. As a former boss of mine once said, "If you get your client into USA Today, you can go home for the day." The idea is that certain high-profile media "hits" will help a company sometimes 100 times as much as 10 articles in other publications. So the Slacker is especially dangerous when s/he also has the ability to make great things happen. I once worked with someone like this. But we’ll get to her a little later, because she fits comfortably into another category as well.
The Pessimist – In the world of marketing, there is absolutely no room for pessimism. Put simply, our mantra needs to be, at all times, "If you will it, it is no dream." (Theodor Herzl) So often, our clients are trying to do something that has never been done before. In essence, they pay us to be optimistic, and to help them accomplish something that seems beyond their reach. Similarly, in the media relations game, it is absolutely forbidden to think that getting your client in a major publication is impossible. It is possible. Always.
The Spotlight Hog – We’ve all had the opportunity, unfortunately, to work with people who fit into this group. They are the ones who talk about themselves glowingly in team meetings, who send emails to the boss about the great work they’ve done and who make sure to speak loudly enough so others can hear about their successes. Not only are these people annoying, but this personality is fatally flawed when it comes to marketing. Our job is to make our clients (whether we are in-house or at an agency) look good. If we receive recognition, fine, but the key is pushing others into the forefront.
The Controller - On the one hand, you’d think that someone with a controlling personality would do well in this business. After all, so much in the world of PR and marketing has to do with managing many details at once. And you’d be partially right. But the other half of our job is rolling with the punches, or, as some put it, going with the flow. So often, things do not play out according to the plan. It is at that point that the best show their ability to think quickly and creatively to ensure the results are still strong for the client. A controller will normally just buckle under the frustration of things not working as they were originally outlined.
The Out-Of-Toucher – So now we can take a closer look at the person I mentioned above. She had been doing media relations for about 20 years, and therefore had terrific relationships with key, high-level media. But all she did was contact media. She didn’t write. She didn’t offer strategy. She didn’t even report results to the client. She just contacted the media. This to me is an example of someone who was simply out-of-touch with the way the business world – or at least the PR world – has evolved. Today, PR people need to be much more well-rounded, and more in-line with what a client’s business goals are, not just clear on what the communication goals are. But there’s another subcategory within the Out-of-Toucher classification. Every company has a culture. And we’ve all worked with someone who simply doesn’t fit in. And when you are in the communication business, and your clients as well as external audiences are depending on your team to operate AS A TEAM, one person who is not on the same page as the rest can really ruin things.
The Gossiper – We’re all familiar with the concept of "around the water cooler." Well, the gossiper is someone who doesn’t need a water cooler to talk about what is going on at a firm. But the gossiper is a poison for two reasons: 1. S/he talks about people behind their backs and lowers others’ opinions of that person; and 2. they waste valuable work time talking about things that are frankly irrelevant. Not only that, but by spending their time gossiping, they fit quickly nicely into the Slacker category above, don’t they? One last point: In the PR/Marketing industry, we are often involved in HIGHLY confidential initiatives. So I ask you, would you have faith that a Gossiper would ever be able to keep your sensitive issues confidential? Me neither.
The Dictator – There are some businesses that I believe can get away with a dictatorial management system. But here in the world of communications, where creativity and open-mindedness is so important, everyone on the team must believe that his/her opinion counts, and that s/he is capable of coming up with the next BIG idea. I once had a supervisor who had a horrible habit when it came to brainstorming sessions. No matter how many good or not-so-good ideas had been tossed around in the meeting, she would – without fail – slam her hand on the table about 34 minutes into the session and say, "I’ve got it! How about if we …" and then she would proceed to offer an idea for an initiative that she may have done 5 or 10 years ago for another client in another situation. And then the meeting was over. That was it. Where’s the opportunity for creativity in that kind of environment? There is no place for a dictator in the PR/marketing world.
The Coward – Needless to say, the coward won’t do well in a "dictator-based" environment. But the truth is that such a person won’t do well in general in marketing, because you have to have guts in this industry. I may be revealing a bit of an industry secret here, but much of what we do is based on common sense, with a good portion of logic thrown in as well. In that context, anyone who can think straight and has self-confidence can excel. And I’m not exaggerating. But one personality trait that is crucial, whether speaking with a client, a reporter or a colleague, is self-assuredness and assertiveness. Those who hesitate do not do well here, whereas someone who "thinks quick" will often become a star. Our clients want to know that we have smart thinking to offer, and they want us to have that smart thinking at the ready. And the media, who often put us on the spot, need to be responded to in a smart, compelling way … every time. Mix in a healthy dose of Israeli toughness into the batter and the product is an industry that must be coward-free.
The Hypocrite – As a father of six, I can tell you that saying one thing to my kids and acting the opposite way, whether it has to do with diet, anger, priorities or even sleeping patterns, is not only my biggest fear, but also a pretty clear recipe for kids who don’t listen/respect me. And the same goes in the business world. Saying one thing and believing another is sure to lead those around you to lose respect for you. And in the communications business, where words can be so powerful, the real winners are those who not only say things in a compelling way, but also act that way to drive home the message about whatever issue is at hand.
The Buzz Killer – There was a great character in Saturday Night Live a few years back called "Debbie Downer
." Here’s a YouTube clip about her. (It’s a great skit. Watch the whole thing …) Anyway, she’s quite a caricature, but not so far off from reality. And when I first saw this list, I asked myself why there needed to be both a Pessimist and a Buzz Killer listed, and I think I know the reason. It’s a matter of timing. The Pessimist is the one who believes something won’t work out well. The Buzz Killer gives his/her dark view after the fact. And that’s even worse, especially in the agency world, where we are always having to look in the mirror and grade ourselves. We tried hard and got results. How strong were the results? Is the client happy? If the client isn’t happy, are his/her expectations too high? If so, let’s ask ourselves, how did we do? Well, sometimes the answer is that we did great! And the last thing we need is for the Buzz Killer to come along and pour cold water on the good mood. All it accomplishes is to kill any momentum the team may be feeling. And, as you know, the communications business is all about momentum.
Let me know your thoughts! I’d love to hear what YOU think about the 10 People Who Suck …
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