There are those in the world who have never been punched, beaten up, or fought. You can often tell those people apart, as they have this overwhelming sense of entitlement and arrogance. The cure for these kinds of people are often enough a good punch in the face. They believe it is out of nowhere, but usually humility follows such an experience.
That being said, I have to deal with one of these people every day now. I work in a shop of three. My boss decided to hire another person to be an art director. So now, in an office of four, I have two bosses. FNG, as I like to refer to him as, has proven to be nothing but a bumbling idiot. He is inarticulate when he speaks, especially in interviews and presentations to clients (he said “you know” every other word and began each sentence with “like”). He is incredibly slow in producing work, even when the owner says “This is due in two hours.” He thinks that means 5. He has not come in on time once this week.
Yesterday, I had software training with a client at her office. He knew I was there, but kept calling me, asking where files were that I had specifically told him where they were the day before. It’s fine to forget (although he could have just searched in the ONE PLACE we keep working files); however, it is not fine to bother me while I’m with a client.
I spent a little over three hours with my client. When I arrived at the office at 12:10, our project manager was freaking out. The so-called art director was supposed to have 12 wine bottle mock-ups ready for a meeting with a client at 1. So basically they needed to be done about 12:40. There was no indication that he had progressed at all on this project. The PM looked at me and said there needed to be some decisions made. So you know what I did? I made the goddamn decisions about what solutions we would present to the client. And he didn’t even notice or care that I did. He’s too busy complaining about his computer being loud or that he doesn’t have a Wacom bamboo tablet. WTF?
Then, after the owner returned, told us the notes of the clients, and told both of us to complete the project for another presentation on Friday, he stole all the notes and ran into his office. Our PM told him since he has other deadlines that I should do the labels. He responded in an email saying that he will do them since he was the one who last worked on them. The thing is, he thinks that he doesn’t have to listen to what the client wants, that we’re supposed to show them the way. There are clients out there who do know what’s best in their industry.
Anyway, I’m not helping him with this project. He can crash and burn for all I care. But seriously, though, I think everything between him and me could be settled with a nice punch to the face.
