In Holland

This week I delivered a 1.5 day programme at a conference in Holland.  I arrive Tuesday night in order to work with a sales team on Wednesday and Thursday.  As arranged I make contact with the Sales Manager immediately upon checking into the hotel.

Over coffee she updates me on the event so far.  We speak for about twenty minutes but as we get up to go, in an attempt at an afterthought she says,

"I hope you don't mind but we're going to start your session an hour later in the morning.  There's some admin issues that we desperately need to sort out so we'll do that first."

I say nothing.

"If you like we can go a bit later in the afternoon to make up the time.  Until six o'clock if you like."

Again I say nothing.

"It really has to be completed before midday and there's no other time available."

We both know what's going on.  There's been misorganisation at some point and she's playing catch-up.  She's aware that she's taking high-value time from me at the beginning of the day in exchange for low-value time at the end.  There's no way I can go to 6pm without the team either falling asleep or mutinying.  It's hard to add value to a training room where the overwhelming sentiment is 'seething resentment'.

The Sales Manager so obviously wants me to airily say that it'll make no difference to my programme but I can't do that without lying.  Aside from fatigue issues, the later start means that I can't arrange the room the way I want.  The lost hour also means that my timings are out of synch with the conference coffee and meal breaks.  Of course I'll manage but I'm going to have to work a lot harder to achieve what I've promised her.

I smile and say that my philosophy is to 'play the cards I'm dealt'.

The change has an interesting effect on me: I could look at it and say that I'm going to get paid exactly the same fee for an hour less work.   I've also earned a 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card - if the programme is deemed unsuccessful I can offload some of the blame on the effect of the later start.  It's like a little cartoon demon has appeared at my shoulder to tempt me with easy options.

But I don't get paid by the hour and I didn't get where I am by grabbing hold of excuses.  I claim to be only as good as my results and no one will remember that lost hour when the client considers whether or not to use me again.

I really do have to play the cards I'm dealt.

The session goes well enough although I have to work a hell of a lot harder to get it there.  It ends with a sense that there'll be a follow-up programme in the coming months.

This is what standing by your results means.