Charles Gupton
One of the blogs I read on a regular basis is ‘A Photo Editor‘ by Rob Haggart. He consistently offers sage observations on our industry.
This post from a few weeks ago on why photo shoots sometimes fail is worth a read regardless of where you may be in the production process.
Charles
There was a story in the Wall St. Journal yesterday indicating that because of the instability in the economy, job recruiters are having difficulty finding candidates for job openings in some companies. It seems that many executives are wary of leaving what they know for a company they don’t know. And there seems to be good evidence that their fears are not unfounded. A number of companies have hired, then almost immediately let go those who have most recently been brought into the fold under the “last hired, first fired” policy many firms have in place.
Although this is not a new insight, what concerns me is the continuing spiral down in the loyalty shown from either the company or the employees to the other. Almost every decision seems to be considered solely on the basis of what can you provide in the short term to fulfill my wants. Without a commitment, a company loses it’s investment in the intellectual and creative capital it’s established.
When people are living in uncertainty and fear, some of the first qualities they drop is their creativity and care for relationships that don’t immediately feed their sense of security. What that translates into for the company is loss of innovation and customer support. Without these two qualities, what does a company really have to offer to distinguish it from a competitor? A lower price point?
The painter Willem de Kooning observed, “The trouble with being poor is that it takes up all your time.” Whether real or imagined, people are feeling poor at this time. And in feeling poor, they have ditched some of their hope, their vision of what’s possible. That’s not only a loss for their lives, but a loss for the company which employs them.
In his book, Lovemarks, Kevin Roberts states, “I believe that the role of business is to make the world a better place for everyone…by focusing our creative minds on innovating for the greater good.” When a company innovates with its services or products in a manner which genuinely benefits the world, it usually profits as well. Throughout his book, Roberts encourages companies to move beyond thinking about products, services or even brands. He proposes that a company think in terms of serving its customers in such a way as to develop a loyalty or a lovemark with them. But neither loyalty nor love can be sold through advertising. It must be won through the interactions a buyer has with the company. Upper management often seems to forget those interactions happen through people – those very same people whose emotional capital has been spent on just keeping their jobs.
If you want your customers to know your love for them, you gotta show ‘em that love through the people who represent you to them. An employee who doesn’t have a well of love to draw from has no where to share it from.
Charles
http://www.charlesguptonphoto.com
I enjoy playing tennis. I have a standing date every Sunday afternoon with a group of regulars to play doubles. What I enjoy most is the competition to play my best, even more than winning. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy winning. But I’d rather play my best game and lose a set than play wimpy and win. Although there are different guys who show up each week, there are certain combinations of players that are going to make me rise up and play my best. Those are my favorite days.
It’s the same with my work. I love the jobs that make me a little uncertain of what I’m going to encounter on a location when I arrive. What are the challenges of communicating the message I have to convey for my client? They force me to rise to the occasion, to be “on game.” I enjoy looking for the best image, not just the first one we find. Getting a solid, safe photo can be considered a “win,” but getting a tougher image that better conveys a client’s message pushes me in a more satisfying way.
What pushes you to be your best?
Charles
http://www.charlesguptonphoto.com
As a kid, I liked silly songs. Not much has changed really. But when I first heard Roger Miller’s songs, I was hooked. One of my favorites was, “You Can’t Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd.” As silly as the lyrics may be, the last line of each verse and the chorus are something I have to remember every day. Especially these days, when the news at every turn is less than encouraging for most. The lines are, “…you can be happy if you’ve a mind to. All you gotta do, is put your mind to it. Knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it.” (The full version follows for your amusement below.)
I find that I don’t so much make myself happy as I decide to do a series of tasks that allow me, by taking action, to feel good in the doing. Of course, it’s easy to confuse activity with accomplishment. But I try to make sure that in my list of “to be done today” are only items which take me toward the goals I set for serving my clients and moving my life in a direction that is positive. I seldom watch TV and although I read two papers most days, I try to focus my attention on stories that feed me useful information I can act upon. Worrying about matters that are outside of my circle of influence is pointless.
Some of the things I might do which take me towards my objectives each day include: reading from several good books over my morning cup of coffee before I go to my desk; reading from several good blogs (such as Seth Godin’s) before I even check e-mail; or send an interesting link to a client and/or send a postcard to a prospective client whose work I admire. These are all things I can control. These are all things I must put my mind to. But they’re not that hard to “knuckle down, buckle down to do it, do it, do it.” And I find I’m a lot closer to being happy than if I’d listened to the prophets of doom.
How do you keep yourself happy?
Charles
www.charlesguptonphoto.com
YOU CAN’T ROLLERSKATE IN A BUFFALO HERD
Roger Miller
You can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
You can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
You can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to
You can’t take a shower in a parakeet cage
You can’t take a shower in a parakeet cage
You can’t take a shower in a parakeet cage
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to
All you gotta do, is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it
Well you can’t go swimmin’ in a baseball pool
You can’t go swimmin’ in a baseball pool
You can’t go swimmin’ in a baseball pool
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to
You can’t change film with a kid on your back (chain-swim)
You can’t change film with a kid on your back
You can’t change film with a kid on your back
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to
You can’t drive around with a tiger in your car
You can’t drive around with a tiger in your car
You can’t drive around with a tiger in your car
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to
All you gotta do, is put your mind to it
Knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it
Well you can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
You can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
You can’t roller skate in a buffalo herd
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to
You can’t go fishin’ in a watermelon patch
You can’t go fishin’ in a watermelon patch
You can’t go fishin’ in a watermelon patch
But you can be happy if you’ve a mind to