Comments on: The Reason You Screwed Up http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/the-reason-you-screwed-up/ The Marketing Rebel RANT Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:59:27 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Jack of All Trades http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/the-reason-you-screwed-up/comment-page-1/#comment-15984 Jack of All Trades Wed, 06 Jan 2010 05:09:11 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/15/the-reason-you-screwed-up/#comment-15984 "It’s almost like you gotta experience disaster first… and it’s gotta make a deep impression on you… before your mind can shift into Professional Gear." True words of wisdom. It's funny how people undermine the great things they have until reality gives them a wake-up call. When life puts you in extraneous situations that force you to reassess your whole way of doing things, it's amazing the level of reflection. innovation, and compromise that takes place internally. -Jack of All Trades “It’s almost like you gotta experience disaster first… and it’s gotta make a deep impression on you… before your mind can shift into Professional Gear.”

True words of wisdom. It’s funny how people undermine the great things they have until reality gives them a wake-up call. When life puts you in extraneous situations that force you to reassess your whole way of doing things, it’s amazing the level of reflection. innovation, and compromise that takes place internally.

-Jack of All Trades

]]> By: Lance http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/the-reason-you-screwed-up/comment-page-1/#comment-4276 Lance Sat, 31 Jan 2009 06:26:29 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/15/the-reason-you-screwed-up/#comment-4276 Holy crap don't get me started! Great piece John and right on the money. The real trick would be to carefully and independently track back to when, how and by whom the change in the education system occurred, because it did. Stuff like this didn't just happen, it was planned and executed for a reason. Holy crap don’t get me started! Great piece John and right on the money.
The real trick would be to carefully and independently track back to when, how and by whom the change in the education system occurred, because it did.
Stuff like this didn’t just happen, it was planned and executed for a reason.

]]> By: ken ca|houn http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/the-reason-you-screwed-up/comment-page-1/#comment-4277 ken ca|houn Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:55:22 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/15/the-reason-you-screwed-up/#comment-4277 And of course having this recent "bailout mentality" from politicians isn't helping either, the message is "screw up and the taxpayers will pay for it". I can hardly wait to see the lack of personal responsibility message that washington will be sending in future years, eg "tax the wealthy and spend on the poor" via socialist government. At least us hardworking entrepreneurs have a "buck stops here" approach which is right, in taking complete responsibility for our personal success. -ken <strong>John Carlton replies:</strong> Good observation, Ken. We're sliding down a nasty little rabbit hole here... John And of course having this recent “bailout mentality” from politicians isn’t helping either, the message is “screw up and the taxpayers will pay for it”. I can hardly wait to see the lack of personal responsibility message that washington will be sending in future years, eg “tax the wealthy and spend on the poor” via socialist government. At least us hardworking entrepreneurs have a “buck stops here” approach which is right, in taking complete responsibility for our personal success.

-ken

John Carlton replies:

Good observation, Ken. We’re sliding down a nasty little rabbit hole here…

John

]]> By: Jack http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/the-reason-you-screwed-up/comment-page-1/#comment-4278 Jack Sun, 18 Jan 2009 11:53:33 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/15/the-reason-you-screwed-up/#comment-4278 Stellar post John. Any of us who have had employees I'm sure have been shaking their heads in knowing agreement. The best way to internalize this lesson is to become the boss, or at least go off on your own entrepreneurial adventure. I have done both, and while I'm not perfect, I am pretty damn good at honoring the code. If you just can't do it, at best you are employee material. Out here in the wild, we have to kill our own food. "Sorry, but..." doesn't cut it. Thanks for a good read. This was one of my favorites. Stellar post John. Any of us who have had employees I’m sure have been shaking their heads in knowing agreement.

The best way to internalize this lesson is to become the boss, or at least go off on your own entrepreneurial adventure. I have done both, and while I’m not perfect, I am pretty damn good at honoring the code.

If you just can’t do it, at best you are employee material. Out here in the wild, we have to kill our own food. “Sorry, but…” doesn’t cut it.

Thanks for a good read. This was one of my favorites.

]]> By: Tajwar Alexander http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/the-reason-you-screwed-up/comment-page-1/#comment-4279 Tajwar Alexander Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:22:59 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/15/the-reason-you-screwed-up/#comment-4279 You bastard! I can't believe you unknowingly exposed me to this. Now if I don't follow the rule I'm screwed....or maybe not... On a serious note, thanks for the post. I feel by reading your stuff I get some of your "gusto" by osmosis. Cheers! Taj You bastard!

I can’t believe you unknowingly exposed me to this. Now if I don’t follow the rule I’m screwed….or maybe not…

On a serious note, thanks for the post. I feel by reading your stuff I get some of your “gusto” by osmosis.

Cheers!

Taj

]]> By: Roy Blumenthal -- Visual Facilitator http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/the-reason-you-screwed-up/comment-page-1/#comment-4280 Roy Blumenthal -- Visual Facilitator Sat, 17 Jan 2009 17:00:11 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/15/the-reason-you-screwed-up/#comment-4280 Stunning piece, John. Thank you for the reminder. There IS a flipside. A kinda, 'I can learn from this' flipside... If, for some reason, you start finding yourself NOT meeting your deadlines (or you find yourself yearning not to meet those deadlines), then you've got to delve inside for the reason. As someone with a hardcore work ethic, I found myself slipping a little while back with a client that didn't have a clue. My wake-up-call gift to myself was to look hard at what was happening. I opted to change the relationship. To make certain client deliverables not-negotiable. Things like script signoffs. Things like written briefs. The client couldn't/wouldn't comply, and we parted. The work ethic caused uneasiness in me. And that uneasiness led to my clear appraisal of a murky situation. Thanks for a killer post. (And thanks to Marc for the link.) Blue skies Love Roy <strong>John Carlton replies:</strong> Good point, Roy. I'll probably get into "the other side" of this matter in a later post. Just laying it bare was the first step. Now, there are the practical matters of putting it in action to cover... which can mean, as you've shared here, getting into situations that require hard choices that aren't necessary clear at first. Thanks for commenting. JC Stunning piece, John. Thank you for the reminder.

There IS a flipside. A kinda, ‘I can learn from this’ flipside…

If, for some reason, you start finding yourself NOT meeting your deadlines (or you find yourself yearning not to meet those deadlines), then you’ve got to delve inside for the reason.

As someone with a hardcore work ethic, I found myself slipping a little while back with a client that didn’t have a clue.

My wake-up-call gift to myself was to look hard at what was happening.

I opted to change the relationship. To make certain client deliverables not-negotiable. Things like script signoffs. Things like written briefs.

The client couldn’t/wouldn’t comply, and we parted.

The work ethic caused uneasiness in me. And that uneasiness led to my clear appraisal of a murky situation.

Thanks for a killer post. (And thanks to Marc for the link.)

Blue skies
Love
Roy

John Carlton replies:

Good point, Roy. I’ll probably get into “the other side” of this matter in a later post. Just laying it bare was the first step. Now, there are the practical matters of putting it in action to cover… which can mean, as you’ve shared here, getting into situations that require hard choices that aren’t necessary clear at first.

Thanks for commenting.

JC

]]> By: Arn Tillman http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/the-reason-you-screwed-up/comment-page-1/#comment-4281 Arn Tillman Sat, 17 Jan 2009 10:36:49 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/15/the-reason-you-screwed-up/#comment-4281 After sixteen years as a printer, it's sad to see how this modern world fails to comply with the term "deadline." Long ago at Kubert's Cartooning school, we were taught this non-acronym pair: "l.a.t.e. equals D.E.A.D.!" It's an obvious 'formula' if YOU need CUSTOMERS to pay your own BILLS, aye?! Oh, the stories I can tell... <strong>John Carlton replies:</strong> Hey, Arn, you got a link for that cartooning school? Does it still exist? My first job was staff cartoonist for my high school newspaper. 2 years of it. Then, I had a strip in the college newspaper for 2 years. Both times, I was the only staff member getting paid ($5 a strip, but still). If I hadn't been red-green color blind -- and thus kept out of art classes (being color deficient was seen back then as a character flaw) -- I would still be in the graphic biz, I'm thinking. Never knew there was a school, though. Do tell... JC After sixteen years as a printer, it’s sad to see how this modern world fails to comply with the term “deadline.” Long ago at Kubert’s Cartooning school, we were taught this non-acronym pair: “l.a.t.e. equals D.E.A.D.!” It’s an obvious ‘formula’ if YOU need CUSTOMERS to pay your own BILLS, aye?! Oh, the stories I can tell…

John Carlton replies:

Hey, Arn, you got a link for that cartooning school? Does it still exist?

My first job was staff cartoonist for my high school newspaper. 2 years of it. Then, I had a strip in the college newspaper for 2 years. Both times, I was the only staff member getting paid ($5 a strip, but still). If I hadn’t been red-green color blind — and thus kept out of art classes (being color deficient was seen back then as a character flaw) — I would still be in the graphic biz, I’m thinking.

Never knew there was a school, though. Do tell…

JC

]]> By: Peter Frank http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/the-reason-you-screwed-up/comment-page-1/#comment-4282 Peter Frank Sat, 17 Jan 2009 07:42:32 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/15/the-reason-you-screwed-up/#comment-4282 Hi John, My mum and dad bought me up to live by the rule. 'let your yes mean yes and your no mean no.' Very few people do this. It even shows up in people excepting barbecue invitations and the like. "I'll be there... (unless something better happens first)". I'd rather be where I said I'd be 2 hours early than 1 minute late. Keep up the good work John. Hope that girl of yours continues to mend. Peter Hi John,
My mum and dad bought me up to live by the rule. ‘let your yes mean yes and your no mean no.’

Very few people do this. It even shows up in people excepting barbecue invitations and the like. “I’ll be there… (unless something better happens first)”.

I’d rather be where I said I’d be 2 hours early than 1 minute late.

Keep up the good work John. Hope that girl of yours continues to mend.

Peter

]]> By: Peter http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/the-reason-you-screwed-up/comment-page-1/#comment-4298 Peter Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:05:35 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/15/the-reason-you-screwed-up/#comment-4298 Excellent post John, having spent most of my life in Southern Africa where there was no social security, no unemployment benefits, and no free health service you either "showed up" or buggered off to Europe to live in a welfare state. Imagine my consternation on arriving in North America a few years ago and finding the land of excuses you so aptly describe. Your post and your followers comments give me hope for the future of the human race. Excellent post John, having spent most of my life in Southern Africa where there was no social security, no unemployment benefits, and no free health service you either “showed up” or buggered off to Europe to live in a welfare state.

Imagine my consternation on arriving in North America a few years ago and finding the land of excuses you so aptly describe.

Your post and your followers comments give me hope for the future of the human race.

]]> By: Rosie Peters http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/the-reason-you-screwed-up/comment-page-1/#comment-4283 Rosie Peters Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:46:45 +0000 http://www.john-carlton.com/2009/01/15/the-reason-you-screwed-up/#comment-4283 Well this certainly rings a bell. I've developed a habit that when workers say "sorry, but..." expecting to be told automatically, "that's OK", I just say "I don't want you to be sorry. I want you to do the right thing." Way too many people try to slime out of taking responsibility because they can get away with it. Here in Australia, we are supposed to be grateful if people turn up to work, eventually, and are upright and warm during work hours. I'm not convinced that it has ever been different, (ie old school) but it is more in your face now that the world is getting smaller. I think there has always been the people who whinge and complain and make excuses for themselves and then there's the people who learn life's lessons and profit from that, financially and/or morally. Well this certainly rings a bell. I’ve developed a habit that when workers say “sorry, but…” expecting to be told automatically, “that’s OK”, I just say “I don’t want you to be sorry. I want you to do the right thing.”
Way too many people try to slime out of taking responsibility because they can get away with it. Here in Australia, we are supposed to be grateful if people turn up to work, eventually, and are upright and warm during work hours.
I’m not convinced that it has ever been different, (ie old school) but it is more in your face now that the world is getting smaller.
I think there has always been the people who whinge and complain and make excuses for themselves and then there’s the people who learn life’s lessons and profit from that, financially and/or morally.

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