Human resources
Manager’s Hot Seat
Case 13: Listening Skills: Yeah, Whatever
The Meeting
M: Pilar, hey. I just came down the street and I was stopped by 3 different people. We’re a hit. I mean we are a huge hit. I can’t believe how beautiful this is.
P: That means it’s all over the place right?
M: Absolutely.
P: Congratulations.
M: I mean it looks right. It looks exactly; I couldn’t even have imagined it.
P: Yeah, I saw it, it was great.
M: So what did you want to see me about?
P: Ok, well. First of all, I wanted to congratulate you.
M: Oh, thanks, thanks so much. I called my mom and dad I was so excited.
P: I’m really happy with your work. And I also want to talk to you a little a bit about how I think, for us to organize ourselves a little bit better…
M: Did you see this?
P: Yes, I saw it, I loved it.
M: Of course you have.
P: Of course. You know, with the few campaigns you have been working on, there was a tiny complaint by the client that you went over budget by quite a bit of money. Now, I know that they were not told in advance. It was 11 grand over budget.
M: Oh come on, that’s nothing. You know that’s nothing. That’s a drop in the bucket to these people.
P: But they were upset about it. And you know that we have to…
M: Oh, hold on.
P: …cater a little…
M: I was buzzing, I just…
P: Yeah, ok.
M: Oh, oh it’s Scott and Abby.
P: Miguel, let’s turn our cell phones off while we’re in the meeting if you don’t mind.
M: Oh my god. No, I’m just kind of on cloud nine still because I just can’t believe it.
P: I know, but you’re busy, I’m busy so let’s uh... I just wanted to specify to you that there are certain things that maybe we should be doing, that neither of us are doing. Just to organize ourselves better.
M: But we are being successful, we are being great.
P: Of course. No, you’re right just listen to me for a second.
M: Have you seen the plastered walls? It’s just…
P: That’s wonderful. The problem is that I want to avoid in the future, going over budget without the client knowing about it. And I’m not saying that it’s completely your fault. It’s mine as well. I was not looking specifically as to how much money was being spent. And how much was going over budget. I had no idea about it.
M: Hmm, about what?
P: About going over budget. We need to have a system. I know, perhaps you are too busy.
M: Huh?
P: Listen to me; we need to have a system.
M: You don’t have to yell, I’m sorry.
P: No, I’m not yelling at you.
M: You’re just getting a little snippy.
P: No, I’m not trying to be that way at all. No, no, no, I’m sorry. I just got this call from this client and he is just freaking out about this $11,000 over budget. Threatening not to pay.
M: After we brought that great account? We gave him a great spread. Nobody else could have done that spread. I’m not working for anyone else and nobody else could have done that spread. They were looking for me and that’s why they came here.
P: That’s fine. Let’s just get to how we can solve the problem. You’re too busy to worry about how much money you’re spending or not spending.
M: I’m busy.
P: And, I am completely, excuse me; I am completely aware of that. So I think maybe the best way to do that would be to have your assistant about once a week, bring me a report about what is being spent on the different campaigns, and how much of the budget is still left. Then I can see when you start going over budget. I can give you a call and we can talk about how much over budget you think you might be.
M: You want me to bring you a report?
P: You don’t have to do it; your assistant can do it.
M: You want my assistant to bring in a report?
P: Yes Miguel. I think it is much more efficient for all of us. I mean, if you are starting to go over budget…
M: Well we have a lot of work to do over there.
P: Yes, I know.
M: the product comes first and you hired me as an artist.
P: Right, that’s why I’m not asking you to do it. I’m asking that you give this to your assistant, which is a more appropriate job for her. To file…
M: No. I need her to assist me. I have so much stuff to get done. I don’t have time…
P: I know Miguel. But I can’t have us going over budget again. I can’t have this happening every time.
M: Yeah, I know, but look at the campaign. Look at the success.
P: I’m looking at it and I love it. But that is not the point. The point is that I can’t have this. This is not personal against you. This is not criticizing your work at all.
M: Sure, whatever. Sure, sure, I get it.
P: But this needs to be done.
M: Right, whatever, I got it.
P: Ok, so thanks a lot for coming in. And we will talk in a couple days.
M: Yeah, yeah, alright.
M: Ah Pilar.
P: Hi Miguel. How are you?
M: Can I speak to you for a second? I’m sorry. I know that… Look I just heard… You have to be kidding me right? I mean this is a joke?
P: Look Miguel, well, no it’s not.
M: Because if it’s not, I mean, it’s just really not funny.
P: Well it’s not a joke. Gesibelle decided to go with Jack for the remainder of the campaign.
M: Look, uh…
P: Look, listen to me for a second. We discussed this three weeks ago.
M: We discussed giving away my campaign three weeks ago?
P: No, we discussed the changes we need to make with Gesibelle in order for them to be happy with the work. They were happy with the end results, but they were not happy with how it was being handled.
M: So are you being serious then?
P: You and I discussed it, and I haven’t seen any change.
M: Well we didn’t discuss me losing the account.
P: Well at that point you, they weren’t going to take you off the account. But if you had listened to me three weeks ago, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.
M: So you are going to take this account away from me?
P: I am not taking it away from you. They did. They did. They don’t want you on the account and I cannot afford to lose them as a client. You need to understand that you need to communicate with me and our clients better because we can avoid this happening. You are really great at what you do, but you need to do better in that sense.
M: What do I need to do?
P: I think we need to take certain steps for the spring campaign. I can convince Gesibelle that things have changed and that, to get you back on the account.
M: Ok, like what?
P: Ok, what we need to start with, is as I said, a report, I think by Friday. And then we can sit down on Tuesday and discuss it, and I can take a look at it.
M: So over the weekend you mean?
P: Yeah.
M: Ok, so Friday I will bring you a report, or I will have someone come in and bring you the report for sure.
P: And then Tuesday we will meet. Let’s say, I don’t know, 2 o’clock?
M: So Tuesday at 2? Are we going to make that weekly for a little bit?
P: Yeah, why don’t we make that weekly.
M: Ok.
P: That way I can have a good argument for Gesibelle in a few months. In the meantime, focus on the other accounts you have. Those are some really great accounts, and there will be some other accounts that come up. So if we can improve this situation, I think that there won’t be any problem.
Afterthoughts
P: Miguel was looking the other way. I would look at him and he would not look me in the eye pretty much the whole meeting. He put his leg up on the chair, he was fidgeting with his cell phone, and he took a call in the middle of our meeting, twirling his pen. He was not concentrating on what I was telling him, he was not paying attention. That is not very professional. I think that he needs to become a little more professional. Concentrate a little more on his work and not just be the artist that creates this wonderful work. But comes into his bosses office and does not look at her when she is speaking to him and just not acknowledge that what she is saying just might be something that can help him out in the future at his job. Constructive criticism is a good thing. It can help your job, instead of thinking that if something turns out ok, he did absolutely everything right. I think that everyone is like that in the beginning. When they do a good job, they don’t want to be criticized at all. They become a bit defensive and they only focus on the good part. Like saying the campaign was good, so nothing else matters. I think his body language was a bit rude, but again I think it has a bit to do with that he is so young, and he is talented so he has gotten a lot of attention. But I think that he needs to kind of keep that in check and be a bit more professional.
P: I think that Miguel was a lot more receptive. I think he was a bit jolted by what had happened and took it a lot more seriously. I think the fact that he lost the account was quite enough but I can’t lose accounts on account of him. I think for the first time, it was ok.