RANT: People I want to avoid in business and
life
This is a
page in progress... I'll add to it as I think of
more.
1. People who have unrealistic expectations: uninteresting,
unmotivated people who want me to make them rich and famous
with my own time and money. I have no interest in financial
subsidizing strangers no matter how cute and cuddly they
may be. If their spouses, parents, or banks won't subsidize
them... why would I want to?
2. People who are bullies when kindness would accomplish
what they want far more easily. (Bullies are usually seen
as people who feel inadequate and have to bring others down
to their level of misery.)
3. People who jump to conclusions and make judgments of
others without taking the time to find out the truth.
4. People who gossip about others and pass along rumors
without first finding out the facts.
5. Friends who devalue your work and your dreams instead of
encouraging you to be even greater. I can't tell you how
many friends I've had to part company with because they
thought I should charge less than I deserve or be paid less
than my expertise is worth. Just because they choose to
think small is no reason I have to. (I encourage them to
think bigger, but they would rather not.)
6. People who question every single thing you say and do
(picky, picky, picky) who don't have the right or reason to
do so. That tells me they don't have enough in their lives
to occupy their minds. On the Internet strangers who do
this are called trolls.
7. People who never reply to the proposal they asked you
for that took hours - sometimes days - of thought, research
and writing. As a former etiquette expert I place a lot of
weight on how people behave. Do they have good manners and
treat others with respect and consideration or do they
treat you as though you were an inanimate object? I don't
work with people who act as if they had no manners.
8. People who ask what I can do for them, but who won't
look at my web site. Sometimes I wonder if they are
expecting me to read my web pages to them over the phone or
paste everything from the web pages into emails for them so
they won't have to use their browser. I figure if they
aren't willing to do a little research for themselves they
won't be motivated to push themselves to the success they
say they want.
9. People who ask me to help them but won't give me a clue
as to what they want and what they can afford, no matter
how many times I ask and how I vary the questions. If you
want something learn how to ask. Get specific. Think. Make
a list. (I call it a wish list.) Think in terms of results
you want (me) to achieve.
10. Professionals I'm paying who don't listen to what I
say, won't work on what I ask them to work on, don't answer
my questions, won't show me the X-rays or diagnosis I'm
paying for, and won't tell me in advance how much it will
cost when it comes out of my pocket.
11. People who drink heavily. When they are drinking they
don't remember the time you spent with them, nor the advice
you give them. They often cancel appointments or just don't
show up. Being around a heavy drinker, sometimes, even a
light but constant drinker, can be a merry-go-round, but
too often a roller-coaster ride... neither of which belongs
in the consulting environment.
Sadly, I'm sure they will be more to add.
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