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Hi guys ,
I am in a US project in Accenture.We have long calls in the night timings. My other teammate has backed out saying she won't attend any calls as she got some medical condition so she won't attend long calls which extend till 9:30.Other teammate is a junior.The managers are expecting me to join all the calls.No help I am getting. And they all being Tamil, I think some partiality is going on between them.Even our onsite lead is of no use.She expects me to attend long calls.
What should I do .pls suggest?
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Mentor
The way I’ve always looked at this thing we do is the same way I played sport.
In sport you have a coach. They are there at practices pushing you to get better, stronger, faster. They are thinking about the big game and they give you a job to do. With sport (because of the rules) it’s so much easier to see when you do something right, and when you make a mistake.
In our job it’s the same thing.
Your CD could be one of those ‘coaches’ that is a little rough around the edges. But I would hope that person cares about the big game, cares about training and practice (feedback, critiques, etc), even if they don’t do a great job of showing it.
When I get chewed out I do what I did in sport. I dig my heels in and go deeper, find that ‘ability’ to go beyond my current mistake or plateau. And I talk to my coach about how we are going to win.
In that way it becomes about the game, not about the coach, and the challenge is now up to me to step up.
Hope that helps, go get ‘em tiger.
As both a creative and a competitive athlete this is bull. I guess it depends on what kind of person you are, but I find being chewed out highly childish, disrespectful, and demotivating. I started at a very famous agency and one of the founder’s way of giving feedback was to throw something and walk out. It didn’t teach me anything and I was convinced I was terrible for years. Would have been much more productive if that CD had given me some calm feedback and helped me grow. On the sports side, I’m on a team where last year the coach stopped practice and screamed at everyone. I left practice. Treat people like adults. This coach posts quote after quote on Facebook about what great coaches do and has no idea that he’s the opposite. I’m sure your CD thinks he’s doing a great job, too, and has no idea that he’s demotivating his team.
Is it possible you really f*ed up and just maybe you’re looking for somebody to be on your side?
If you haven’t screwed up and been “chewed out” by a superior in advertising, you haven’t lived my friend. Get out more.
It’s GREAT that you’re thinking about the mistake and feeling bad. Brood. Sulk. Over-eat. Whatever.
THEN, study the whole event and learn. We all need people like YOU who get better with each event. People who have layers of thick skin.
Wish I worked with people who went through what you’re feeling now.
Ugh. Chad is here. He’ll help you through rush week.
Bowl Leader
I disagree with the sport metaphor. Should be more like a team effort to solve a real life user problem, not scoring a goal.
Agree with you. Sports are super physical and it’s easy to take out the frustration by running/hitting/throwing harder then feeling better but it doesn’t translate to work, ESPECIALLY when you’re in a creative position, creativity is mental sports are physical. Your boss shouldn’t be screaming at you.
Mentor
Sorry you had to go through that. If you're okay with letting us know, what happened?
Everyone has a different threshold for what constitutes being “chewed out”. That said, the good CDs I’ve worked with never had to chew anyone out because they built a relationship with their team. They had integrity and were mentors. No one got chewed out. If you couldn’t cut it you were coached then let go if you still couldn’t cut it. To chew people out is an ego move, and our industry should shed these people. There are many ways to give a creative not living up to their hiring a kick in the pants—the answers not a high school football coach mentality.
Exactly. The creative lead’s job (my job) is to unblock, guide, inspire, and make everyone feel as empowered to own their work as humanly possible. Even if someone has screwed up the goal of coaching and leading is always to help them solution, not add another problem—feeling shit on—to the pile.
Mentor
It’s easy for me to say as a CD with decades of experience. But I’ve found the best thing to do if you feel you were honestly treated unfairly in front of people (over the top yelling and criticism from a superior) is to reply calmly with something like, “I understand that you’re upset. And I’m happy to discuss it in more detail. Either now or in private. But I would appreciate it if you would speak to me like calmly and like an adult. I guarantee we’ll accomplish more that way.”
This is a way to put the onus on them in a completely professional manner. And show you’re willing to listen if they act like a true leader an not a bully.
Exactly! I will flat out not staff someone (even if it leaves a role empty) if doing so introduces the risk of demoralization to the project.
Coach
Tell the fucker they stepped over the line. Remind them this is your job, not some place to get yelled at by someone too immature to keep their cool. Let them know this is the real world, and if they wanna get like that you’re happy to step outside.
Did they do it on a zoom call or email? Need more details...
Group email is super mean but also really dumb. You could have come up with a great comeback the hit Reply All, made the CD look really bad. ... honestly that’s what I would have done. 😜
Report it to HR.
I’ve been part of too many toxic workplaces to put up with more of it. Abusive CDs disproportionately effect women and POC in the workplace and it’s not something that should be tolerated. This is a job, not a sport or family or anything else, and it should be a safe space, not one where an entitled artist gets to act like a dictator. No matter how bad you messed something up, if there weren’t checks and balances in place to have caught it before going to client, it’s as much on them as it is on their workers.
We need more info. “Chewed out” is unclear. You also mentioned you made a mistake. Did your CD swear at you, yell, or was inappropriate? Or were they giving you very tough criticism by pointing out your mistake? There is a difference. Once we have a little more info, we can give you better advice.
Bowl Leader
I would report it to HR. Be kind to your people. Teach, don’t berate.
OMG “report it to HR.” No. HR’s job is to protect the company which usually means the senior people. HR does not want to hear your issues with your boss unless they’re doing something that could get the company sued. Usually not even then.
Easy to say report it. HR doesn't care about us. Can not rock the boat
What was the mistake? Was it serious? Have you made a lot of mistakes in the past?
Hopefully chewed out was done in private like an adult would. Unfortunately some of my CDs in the past didn’t have professionalism and did it out in group settings. if done out in the open (assuming you didn’t fire the first shot in the argument) take it up with HR. If not, let the dust settle. Reflect upon what happened follow up with a closed door conversation to see how it can be avoided next time.
Everyone of those moments will hopefully build your character for the better. In today’s day and age with everything going on emotions are surely running high but senior leadership/CDs should be more conscious than ever with how they direct their teams and compose themselves. We are all human. No ones perfect.
Make great stuff together and cut entitled attitudes. Empathy is the new industry buzzword yet many haven’t figured out how to actually put it to use.
Well, if you fucked up then just own it, say it won’t happen again and move on. Do better. The group email chew-out is tacky, I can’t give the CD any points for that. Im assuming it was in the heat of the moment and the CD may come to you and apologize for the way he approached it. If not, and it becomes a pattern, then start looking for a new job.
In my experience, it’s mostly when a CD feels overmatched or is feeling pressure from people above them that they tend to lash out like that. Been lucky enough to work for some incredible creative leaders and some average ones. 9 times out of 10, the more talented, more successful and more well-known they were, the kinder and more supportive they were.