tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post3510879281299185506..comments2024-03-18T19:39:41.671-07:00Comments on Round Seventeen: I'm OuttahereRich Siegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01863451214232651917noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-89636310146191885452013-10-06T23:11:18.546-07:002013-10-06T23:11:18.546-07:00Yeah, but isn't the whole point is that we DON...Yeah, but isn't the whole point is that we DON'T WANT TO WORK AT FUCKING WALGREENS?!! I mean, jeez-louise, how about a little perspective here...<br /><br />PenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-3048348491778357952013-04-30T16:33:57.189-07:002013-04-30T16:33:57.189-07:00Great reminder Dick, and equally so for the corrob...Great reminder Dick, and equally so for the corroborating comments. This post reminds me of an anecdote from the business book "Good to Great" where the CEO of Walgreens--a multibillion-dollar company--talked about working 9 to 5 pretty much every day. His point was that if you're in the right job (or if, as a manager, you hire the right people), you should be able to get your work done in 40 hours a week. And since he had vastly more responsibility that I will ever have, that lesson stuck. Nate Davishttp://www.twitter.com/iamnatedavisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-70095231576464016152012-04-10T17:27:46.836-07:002012-04-10T17:27:46.836-07:00"Working Late" is for the young. It prov..."Working Late" is for the young. It provides them a place to be, food to eat, and friends to hang with when they have an apartment that's not as nice as the agency, a refrigerator without food, and friends who'd rather drink beer for free in an agency than pay for it in a bar. It's fun and a great part of one's ad career. But once you have a family- optimize your time, make decisions and then get your ass home to your kids. By the time you get married and have kids you ought to have developed the ability to create great ideas a lot faster than when you were a newbie anyway. A creative person with kids who consistently works late is either not very good or a lost soul. Frankly, I find it sad. And ultimately one day, much further in the future, they will too.George Gierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09717337811805742499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-37176479996766443372012-04-10T13:37:23.931-07:002012-04-10T13:37:23.931-07:00I agree. People used to say pressure makes diamond...I agree. People used to say pressure makes diamonds. I think pressure causes constipation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-31922110017083077072012-04-10T12:11:21.717-07:002012-04-10T12:11:21.717-07:00Great post. If one must continually pull all night...Great post. If one must continually pull all nighters to create work, perhaps one is in the wrong career.Patrick Scullinhttp://www.thelintscreen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-42063144238394284962012-04-10T11:12:07.520-07:002012-04-10T11:12:07.520-07:00Thinking doesn't only take place in an office....Thinking doesn't only take place in an office. Neither does writing, or art directing. One of the best ideas I had recently was in the shower before I went to bed.<br /><br />We are advertising to people who hate advertising. And that tells me that my ideas need to come from experiencing life outside of advertising.<br /><br />Creatives, or companies, that claim office time = productive time are probably not very creative.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-55025639114817068152012-04-10T08:53:06.136-07:002012-04-10T08:53:06.136-07:00Shoot. Wish I could agree. I like palling around w...Shoot. Wish I could agree. I like palling around with people at the office. I like working hard, early in the morning, then taking a break to talk to friends I work with (not "co-workers." There's a difference). Bankers show up at 9 and leave at 5. That's not why we're in advertising. We like being creative, even if it means goofing off a little during "normal work hours." <br /><br />So what if you stay a little late every once in a while? Order some dinner. Talk to someone you've never talked to during the busy day. So what if breaking out the beers leads to some unexpected laughs. Or if it helps make the banner ads go down a little easier. Enjoy the advertising ride. Or take a look out your window when it's 100 degrees and watch the guy pouring asphalt for $7/hr. You'll think twice about complaining about your job.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-36577911134541456302012-04-08T01:53:45.507-07:002012-04-08T01:53:45.507-07:00So much time is wasted during a normal business da...So much time is wasted during a normal business day, many agencies only "come alive at five". And often not because of employees' gossiping, chatter and/or compulsive oversharing on Facebook, but because of bad management and ridiculous "team building" parties and meetings. The result being creatives who "saddle in to work" well after the appointed hour, knowing that even if they came in at 7:30, they'd probably be asked to stay past 6:30 or 7:00 because of someone else's poor planning. <br />When I was on staff where you are currently freelancing, my immediate supervisor at the time criticized me for "getting in too early when nobody else was there yet". Because I had a hellish commute, I set out early, sometimes taking the bus, in order to avoid the worst traffic. She went on to say it made the rest of my department look bad, and it would be much better if I got in a bit later and prepared myself to work late every day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-54073002646376279922012-04-06T12:02:20.772-07:002012-04-06T12:02:20.772-07:00I've never liked the staying late thing, but o...I've never liked the staying late thing, but often I've had no choice - the "Senior Creatives" over me could never be bothered to make a decision until the last possible second. Then I'd have to scramble to put it all together for presentation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-87522622946798040782012-04-05T10:44:20.970-07:002012-04-05T10:44:20.970-07:00Clearly, I've struck a nerve here. Tally ho, f...Clearly, I've struck a nerve here. Tally ho, fellow underachievers.Rich Siegelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01863451214232651917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-40118385065724841832012-04-05T09:44:34.922-07:002012-04-05T09:44:34.922-07:00Great post, Rich. Sadly, I often find myself hangi...Great post, Rich. Sadly, I often find myself hanging around more for appearances than productivity. Thanks for the sanity check.markronquillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04627234026737627019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-91024512860834271612012-04-05T09:38:05.237-07:002012-04-05T09:38:05.237-07:00Rich, completely agree. So much of implied or man...Rich, completely agree. So much of implied or mandatory rituals of this business are completely ridiculous. People brag about working late like its some cool badge of honor and I'm totally horrified. <br /><br />I have always gotten in early to work and to make the time spent there productive and purposeful. At 5:30-6:00pm on most days it's time to focus on something else. If you can't get it done during that time your're either screwing around, or there's something wrong with the place.Chris Arkellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03584956536973122467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-13144506629296878902012-04-05T09:33:42.353-07:002012-04-05T09:33:42.353-07:00I'm at an office right now (at 9:30am), and I&...I'm at an office right now (at 9:30am), and I'm the only one here. And I will be leaving on time too. <br />And I will not be having beers at 4 when they break them out. <br />F that high school shit.laurennehttp://humansarefunny.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-48685947479819296902012-04-05T07:51:46.323-07:002012-04-05T07:51:46.323-07:00My philosophy exactly. It's always been some k...My philosophy exactly. It's always been some kind of bullshit measure of loyalty perpetrated by people look for excuses not to go back to their real lives. Don't get me started. The trick is to work smart, not late. If you don't have the idea by 7PM, you're not going to have it at 2AM. Besides, how much bad pizza can one writer take?Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13307986487573583915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3958990354598975042.post-36093756440954510352012-04-05T07:50:22.426-07:002012-04-05T07:50:22.426-07:00Rich, I'm the same way. I get in around eight....Rich, I'm the same way. I get in around eight. And by the time most everyone else gets in, I've essentially finished my work for the day.<br /><br />I stick to my idiosyncrasies. I pal around with virtually no one. Except people like you through the blogosphere.<br /><br />Most staying late is done for the alleged honor of staying late. Most happens because you weren't thoughtful or organized in the first place. Or because you're too inexperienced to have the confidence to make a decision.<br /><br />OK. I'm going home now.george tannenbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10974259094860905139noreply@blogger.com