I’ll admit it; I work for an insurance company. A big one.
And it’s a great place to work, generally. But working as a creative person in
corporate America does come with some baggage, as some may know.
One advantage of working in Corporate America for many years
(other than being old) is that I can offer you some advice on how to avoid some
of the kinds of people who can bring you down. You know they’re out there, but
how can you spot them? And what to do when you do?
Not to worry, the old guy will now dispense with the
knowledge you need.
There are three kinds of people who can and will drive you
crazy in corporate America and you should avoid them at all costs:
There are people who want your job,
but aren’t qualified for it.
These people are known as Wannabes.
There are people who know they
don’t qualify to do what you do, yet still tell you what to do. These people
are known as Managers.
And there are people who are trying
to do your job, but really can’t.
These folks are known as Hacks.
Let’s break each of these types of people down so you will recognize
them and know what to do when you see them in the wild.
Wannabes are
relatively harmless people who really just want to do the fun stuff. They may
want to write or design or make video or be a photographer. Problem is, they
aren’t any good at it. This may be because they are just too young or because
they should be doing something else. It doesn’t matter to them, they just want
to play.
What you don’t want to do is spend too much time around a wannabe. Sure, we all want to help
people (and we should…to a point), but wannabes
can be a big time and energy drain if you let them. Some of the worst of this variety
may even try to claim your work as their own — be careful of this bunch. They
can drag you down with them.
What to do: Just smile and wave…and keep moving
The second group is known as Managers. We’ve all seen this type and have learned that we can
co-exist with them. But they can be especially dangerous in the wild spaces of
the creative world. Creative Managers (like their oxymoron cousins Jumbo Shrimp and Military Intelligence) can’t really occur in nature. Yet, there
they are.
Typically, they are from one branch of the creative tree
(i.e. writing or design) but try to cross over into the other — unsuccessfully
— usually because their boss, also a Manager,
told them to do it.
You may even work directly for someone like this. It’s okay,
we all have at one point. The key thing to know here is, while they’ll never
admit it, they know you’re good at what you do. Use that to your advantage (you
know, kind of like never showing fear to a dog, except different).
What to do: Do what they ask, but also do what you know is right. They
will usually pick the latter because it makes them look good.
Finally, there are the hacks. These people mean well, really
they do, but they weren’t invited to the party. They are crashers. And no one
likes a party crasher.
Typically, this is the owner’s son (or nephew, or daughter)
who can have any job in the place and decided to bless your area with their
presence. Oh, joy. Get along with them, but certainly don’t heed their advice.
And, whatever you do, don’t encourage them. Do not tell them they have good ideas
if they don’t, this will only embolden them to do it again. And again.
What to do: Ride it out, they will get
bored and move on.
Don’t forget, working in Corporate America isn’t as scary as
you might think. You get to go home every night, usually in time for dinner,
and you get to see the kids (sorry, kids).
And who knows, if you keep your wits about you and watch out
for the three groups mentioned above, you may just make this thing into a
career.
Good luck!
