People Can Be Disappointing

by Frank Roche on November 6, 2007

Ming the MercilessThat’s a bummer headline, huh? I was thinking about that in the context of business. I had a couple pretty big disappointments this week because of people who work at our shop. Missed deadlines. Lack of attention to detail. Then when I call them on it I look like Ming the Merciless. How is that?

What happened in this world? Where did pride of workmanship go? What happened to the phrase “Anything worth doing is worth doing well”? Am I the last of a generation who turns up early to appointments, plans ahead, and cares about the quality of my work? I know I’m not alone. I work with good people who do good work.

This quote sums it up for me:

I never blame failure – there are too many complicated situations in life – but I am absolutely merciless toward lack of effort.
-F. Scott Fitzgerald

  • http://pinkybear.blogspot.com Pinky Bear

    Sorry to hear it.

    There does seem to be some sort of general apathy these days about doing anything right or well. I face a lot of people who just don’t care anymore, which is more disheartening.

    Sometimes we have to do the best we can and then keep on plugging.

  • http://pinkybear.blogspot.com Pinky Bear

    Sorry to hear it.

    There does seem to be some sort of general apathy these days about doing anything right or well. I face a lot of people who just don’t care anymore, which is more disheartening.

    Sometimes we have to do the best we can and then keep on plugging.

  • http://48facets.wordpress.com rick

    I share your pain. Not enough people have pride in their work or if they do their standards are well below mine.

    To pick up on one of your lines you said, “I look like Ming the Merciless”. That puts the Minging on you. Don’t you mean that they thought of you as Ming? Unless you hooked them up to some big machine spewing static electricity…then it was you.

  • http://48facets.wordpress.com rick

    I share your pain. Not enough people have pride in their work or if they do their standards are well below mine.

    To pick up on one of your lines you said, “I look like Ming the Merciless”. That puts the Minging on you. Don’t you mean that they thought of you as Ming? Unless you hooked them up to some big machine spewing static electricity…then it was you.

  • http://paxromano.blogspot.com/ PaxRomano

    Lack of effort, that’s it in a nutshell. I have no problem with someone making an honest effort and messing up (we all do that), but when their is little or no effort – ugh, what can you do?

    On the other hand, I’ve seen good people really get smacked down for projects they’ve tried to get running that foul up … what’s that about the road to hell being paved with good intentions.

  • paxromano

    Lack of effort, that’s it in a nutshell. I have no problem with someone making an honest effort and messing up (we all do that), but when their is little or no effort – ugh, what can you do?

    On the other hand, I’ve seen good people really get smacked down for projects they’ve tried to get running that foul up … what’s that about the road to hell being paved with good intentions.

  • JT

    Sorry to hear that Frank. Your business is one where there is a big gap between right and not quite right. I know the pride you take in your work. It must be maddening to see these errors.

  • JT

    Sorry to hear that Frank. Your business is one where there is a big gap between right and not quite right. I know the pride you take in your work. It must be maddening to see these errors.

  • http://www.knowhr.com/blog Frank

    JT, It’s maddening alright. Ugh. I have certain standards that go back to the Vince Lombardi era…and it seems to be a fading ideal. The trick…hire more people with that work ethic and teach them. You can’t make people “get it.” It’s inculcated from birth.

    Pax, it is a balancing act. We don’t do smackdowns for effort, but I bitch slap people into next week for not caring. Funny how they always care ex post facto.

  • http://www.knowhr.com/blog Frank

    Rick, I might get the Ming the Merciless zapper. That’s quite “the stick.”

  • Frank

    JT, It’s maddening alright. Ugh. I have certain standards that go back to the Vince Lombardi era…and it seems to be a fading ideal. The trick…hire more people with that work ethic and teach them. You can’t make people “get it.” It’s inculcated from birth.

    Pax, it is a balancing act. We don’t do smackdowns for effort, but I bitch slap people into next week for not caring. Funny how they always care ex post facto.

  • Frank

    Rick, I might get the Ming the Merciless zapper. That’s quite “the stick.”

  • http://www.knowhr.com/blog Frank

    Pinky, yep, we keep on keeping on. That’s the trick..I get bummed, take action, and move on. It’s worked for me for this first century-and-a-half.

  • Frank

    Pinky, yep, we keep on keeping on. That’s the trick..I get bummed, take action, and move on. It’s worked for me for this first century-and-a-half.

  • http://48facets.wordpress.com rick

    JT’s comment goes for my business as well. Yet I was taking to a senior person who was offering advice that I might be more successful by leveraging more even to people less than fully qualified and sending “good enough” work to clients.

    I think not.

  • http://48facets.wordpress.com rick

    JT’s comment goes for my business as well. Yet I was taking to a senior person who was offering advice that I might be more successful by leveraging more even to people less than fully qualified and sending “good enough” work to clients.

    I think not.

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