I work in the Entertainment industry, and my day to day life is focused around a selection of self networked projects. Meaning, i met a network and created an opportunity from that network which led to another opportunity and so forth. Hit the Projects page for more information on what exactly i am doing.

My Reality!

I don’t make serious money, i don’t claim to be ‘balling’ or driving a blacked out Range Rover Vogue. I live at home with my mum and make ends meet by assisting people with their projects, in the idea that networks will open, the projects will take off and reputation will do the rest.

But because i work in such a cut throat environment, everyone is out for themselves. I understand how difficult it is to make a dent in this industry. I am very open and welcoming to any new face, as anyone who knows me will say (read the Testimonials page), but if it’s one thing i have found i have as a super power, it’s a sixth sense to read the bullshit coming out of someones mouth (catch me in the new season of Heroes).

A friend once told me, “you can only really trust someone who speaks from valid experience, and when in a business meeting with a new character, they will generally try and qualify themselves to you as you would to them within the first few minutes of engagement”… first impressions are everything right?

The Great Game

So like an interview, but where it is less formal and they know you won’t actually ask for a reference, they feel the need to not only exaggerate on their experience, but implement fictional events into their description like they are reading Lord of the Rings to a class of children.

I tend to call this, ‘talking a good game’. It is basically a sales pitch, where they believe that by being something they are not, they can open doors and create shortcuts through the industry.
They also claim this story to be true so much that they live by it and are actually enthused by their false achievements.

How Can You Recognize ‘A Great Game’?

Name dropping is a perfect tell sign… ever heard the line, “yeah i worked with ….. a little while back on his album/tour/release” or “I’m just about to sign a deal with this company”… oh yeah, we say, as we inquire a little further into the story like we are paying for the entertainment… “but i can’t actually say the name of the company, the date of the meeting or the contact who hooked me up.” So i thought…
You just decided to reel me in like a worm on a fishing rod so that i will introduce you to my very real contact/client list?

Other ways of noticing this hot trend is by excuses the gamer will use. As they cannot prove their experience or find clarity in their name drops, they will stall on meetings they originally agreed to wholeheartedly or will make up another story to back up their original lies ie: “Sorry i can’t bring over this act/client to the meeting as we are in LA working in the studio.” Smell something? Yes that’s the stench of rotting bullsh*t.

While everyone exaggerates in one way or another, whether it’s editing your CV in your favor for a job or trying to impress a hot female (yeah i have done both), i believe that reputation is everything.

Reputation is your brand, and will stick with you through everything that you do. I am all for people doing ‘whatever it takes’ to make it, but if history has taught us anything, it is that the truth always comes out… and when it does, you would kinda wanna save the embarrassment of having to admit your deceit.

While you may have made the money, success and power you dreamed of achieving whilst plotting your game plan; your consumers, customers, friends and networks will only remember the negative feedback and press you WILL receive in the end.

What Are You Saying Then?

To The Gamers:
Be you… Don’t reinvent the wheel to be original, but live your life and achieve your goals in a way that new contacts you network with, will only be able to say, “you know what, use ….. as he’s a good guy and will help you/your company out”. That’s building a network, and word of mouth is still the most popular form of promotion!

But if people start spreading your lies for you and forwarding your stories on because they believe you are for real, you will eventually have to bring some form of clarity, and when you can’t justify yourself, you can only back up your lies with more lies before your reputation is buried.

Sidenote: No bulls were actually used in creating this post and no snakes were killed. This is also not directed at anyone in particular and for any privacy concerns please read through the disclaimer.

Upon a simple Google search of the term ‘Communication’ i found a barrage of articles about this topic. Communication is a fundamental part of any business. We spend our whole lives wrapped around modern technology making it easier to communicate, yet we seem to still find it difficult to keep track of our conversations, progress, tasks and deadlines.

Why Is This?

Most conversations sort of drift along; in business, this is wasteful; as a manager, i seek effective communication rather than general chit chat. To ensure an efficient and effective conversation, there are three considerations:

• you must make your message understood
• you must receive/understand the intended message sent to you
• you should exert some control over the flow of the communication

I find that i spend most of my days in and out of meetings, with clients or with team members, i am hopping from meeting to meeting without any clarity or substance.

In any organization, “meetings” are a vital part of the organization of work and the flow of information. They act as a mechanism for gathering together resources from many sources and pooling then towards a common objective. They are disliked and mocked because they are usually futile, boring, time-wasting, dull, and inconvenient with nothing for most people to do except doodle while some opinionated has-been extols the virtues of his/her last great (misunderstood) idea.

Break The Mould

Your challenge is to break this mould and to make your meetings effective. As with every other managed activity, meetings should be planned beforehand, monitored during for effectiveness, and reviewed afterward for improving their management.

“A meeting is the ultimate form of managed conversation; as a manager, you can organize the information and structure of the meeting to support the effective communication of the participants.”

I love the quote above. “A meeting is the ultimate form of managed conversation.”
Such a powerful statement. So why do i chose to place myself in meeting after meeting, than just sit at home handling emails and organizing my schedule and tasks via my personal computer?

Other than getting me out the house and forcing me to jump into my Superman phonebooth to become the business warrior i am; nothing achieves a higher and more definitive rate of productivity than a face to face meeting with your team.

• It allows you and your team to express opinions, problems and queries and clear them up without having to wait for your mail to refresh.
• You can explain in depth your theories, practices, strategies and plans.
• Most importantly it allows you to take time and understand each other, creating valuable group cohesion and work bonded relationships.

Take Action

While you may spend a lot of time organising meetings and attending meetings, it is ultimately down to you what you achieve from these meetings.