datamusicata

Those of you who’ve been following Datamusicata probably noticed that it disappeared for a week.   I can explain.   When Cliff Eberhardt came here to do the All Wood And Doors project, he came here from Texas, where he thought he’d gotten food poisoning.   He got over it within a day or two, however on the day he left both my wife and I came down with…you guessed it…food poisoning.    How strange.   We ate lunch in two different restaurants but both got it.   

The next morning after enumerable nocturnal visits to the throne room we realized that Cliff didn’t have food poisoning, he had intestinal flu.   And now, so did we.   

Five days unable to stray very far from the bathroom, we spent most of our time in congress with the porcelain.  I lost six pounds and look fantastic.   My wife didn’t lose a pound, much to her consternation.   And she’s started referring to Cliff as Cliff “f#&*king Eberhardt, which still makes me smile.  

In any event, I’m back and today I want to talk about one of my pet peeves.   And this has nothing whatsoever to do with Cliff and I.    We worked like Trojans and have created a wonderful foundation on which to build a remarkable recording.  

Today, it’s about my experience with the workaday world, but it relates to all worlds,  I suspect.

Incompetence and attitude – the cosmic connection.    I keep noticing lately how much one is related to the other.    The less competence someone brings to the party the more attitude the use to compensate.   Work with a great musician or technician, or sales person, and everything just flows.

Work with someone who can’t find their ass with both hands and if one has the temerity to communicate any impatience or displeasure (which is a flaw on my part, I admit), here comes the attitude.

All the greats that I’ve ever encountered, worked or played with seem to have one thing in common.    They are gracious and sensitive to those around them.   They never make you feel like you’re on the outside looking in.   And this in turn helps you to deliver the best you can.

No gentleman would ever make anyone feel uncomfortable around them, regardless of stature, status, or ability.   And the greats display these traits consistently.

If you are going to practice your craft, your work, whatever, then have the good grace to get as good at it as you can, and play to your strengths.    

And then display even more grace by making certain that those around you can function at their full capacity, without worrying about your approval, or attitude.  This will serve every project that you work on and every person who works with you.

Don’t forget my favorite question:    What do you want to have happen here?

Making your co workers, underlings, hired help or teammates feel inadequate won’t serve anything but an insecure ego and that only temporarily.     Serve the project, not your ego.