Liars, thieves and hirelings

Sometimes you get hired by the strangest folks, for the strangest jobs.

There is the Liar, he will tell you everything is terrible, awful or worst. He will tell you that he was sick to his stomach because everything you did was not usable. And he will make vague references to emails about how he had outlined exactly what he had been looking for as content. When you go back to look those emails, all you find are, the one raving, yes raving, about how great the piece was, how fitting and how happy he was with the project.

So where did it all go so wrong? Usually it is about giving credit -- some people don't want to give up the credit for a job well done. It has to be theirs from conception to completion. Take a close look at Madmen and you will see a room full of poker faces -- playing the ultimate game of bluff.

Who is the Thief? He comes in all shapes and sizes. It can be about credit once again, it could be about fair pay, swiping client accounts, or just an idea. By all accounts, Thieves are usually friendly. They act innocent and befuddled. Lots of smiles and jokes -- foxy. Know that a handshake holds no weight, they have no loyalty -- just sure you get them to sign on the dotted line.

The definition of a Hireling is a person who does casual work. Someone who does just what they need to do to keep hired and no more. It is a spare deal, but it is often the testing ground for capability, commitment and proverbial "ball carrying".

You could have the producer who is coddling the client and telling them their idea is brilliant. There is the account executive thinking about how their contact list is growing and going to follow them to their next gig. And then there is the new kid who lets slip that the competition is sitting in the next room and secretly watching the control room monitors for that product launch.

But what if you have all those traits wrapped up in uber-client. The Megalomanic! Wait! Shivers of recognition should be going up and down your spine. Today he is the good guy -- calls you sweetheart (a sure sign to run away). Tomorrow he is the screaming tyrant -- you were all wrong on the day you were born. Maybe there are the multiple references to the last person he had worked with and how they miserably failed him over and over again. Or you have a person who takes no responsibility and becomes the invisible man -- neither phone, nor text, nor email will roust them, forget the fact that the sun is shining, you will never see them again. And you are left holding a big bag of electronic vapor......a missed phone call, "Just checking in -- how is everything going?"