Disagreements between employer and employees are not anything new for most people. Rare for some, often for others, but they do tend to happen in most workplaces or working environments (even freelance). Alongside disagreements tend to follow some clash of opinions, misunderstandings or different ways of doing certain things. This is, by far, quite normal as each person is an individual and different, having their own methods, ideas, opinions, visions, etc. However, this can be nonetheless frustrating, annoying and difficult to resolve or deal with both for the employer and the employee. With the help of Gibbs reflective cycle, I will analyse and reflect upon these points in this blog post.
What Happened?
Starting out the work placement, I was not extremely optimistic, as it was my last resort and the only viable option, not something I wanted to do or something very related to my future career. Even with all that, I was prepared to do my best and help out the company in whatever way I could regarding sound and music. The first project they proposed sounded good and I was promised that I would be able to do things from home/studio (creating soundscapes for this particular project and such) and send them over, have a few meetings. However, this project was very undefined and the company themselves did not really know what they were doing as it was something new, some sort of collaboration, so my tasks or the timeline, especially, were never clearly stated and there was not enough time for me to actually participate. I and the company were ok with this as the project happened right away and was short notice, so there was not much time to prepare anything, considering I have university as my main focus. They also said that most projects will be happening during the 2nd semester (from January) so I just patiently waited for updates.
Another project came in sometime in early January and I was hopeful that with this one, things would be different and go well. I got sent emails, some project details, timelines, etc. I attended one meeting with the staff, some actors, some writers. I was prepared to attend some meetings/rehearsals even if I feel very useless there since there is no way for me to contribute but was hoping my main tasks would be remotely (as was promised in the beginning of the placement).
Yet, as time went on, there were no news or specifications as to what my tasks are, what should I do at least vaguely, nothing was concrete and defined which irritated me a lot and made me confused. After waiting a while, I sent them an email asking what I should be doing exactly and giving a few of my own ideas of how I could contribute, compose some music for instance. I was shot down and told that they work differently, that I should be present and more involved on location, there was too little time now, etc. I was very confused at that point and really frustrated again. So, what am I supposed to do? I was prepared to be present, even if it is not something I like or find useful in any way, but only a minimal time for some meetings to discuss what they require from me, any other things relating to the projects, attend some rehearsals but contribute in the best way I can, that is working on composing music or doing something sound design related from home or the studio. This is the only way I could actually be useful to them. They said this was how it would go in the beginning of the placement, after all.
A Mix of Feelings
It felt like this was the first unsuccessful project all over again and that time is running out to complete the placement even if there are quite a few months left. All the miscommunication and especially the lack of clarity, tasks, timelines was starting to get to me. I knew this placement probably would not be great and not my cup of tea, but I was willing to try and hoped it would go smoothly, yet so far this has been a real headache. Still, I needed to take a few deep breaths, calm down and try to scavenge the situation and the placement. Staying cool and collected in frustrating or difficult situations, as well as putting feelings aside, is a good skill to develop. The company said that there would be a project in April which would most definitely work out and I could be present but also contribute more in my way, so I put my hopes on that. I decided to let bygones be bygones and just wait patiently for updates about the new project.
Evaluation and Analysis
Well, it was a tricky and annoying situation. The bad was that it made me feel very frustrated with the fact that I could not contribute in any way, the lack of clarity and definition of projects and tasks, the lack of a timeline. It also made me a bit uneasy about not being able to complete the hours necessary for the placement (this was soothed by the promise of a bigger project in April). The good was that these situations showed me how important clear communication is on both ends. It is important to speak up for yourself and ask questions too, in a polite manner. This placement is also teaching me to be more resilient and have more control over/ignore my emotions when it comes to work. These situations also showed me that sometimes being a part of some projects just does not work out, not really by fault of anyone, and that is alright.
Conclusion
My take from all of this is that there should always be clear communication from the start from the employer, defined tasks and timelines and other aspects of the job discussed. This would hugely help the employee decide if the job is for them or not, as well as contribute to the job and projects correctly and on time. I, myself, learned that I should also ask more questions, not be afraid to be inquisitive. Another thing is compromise, I personally think that at least some of it is essential in the workplace of any kind. Of course, the employer is the boss and on the top, so all employees should meet their requirements and needs, work accordingly, following the rules. However, that does not mean that everything should be accepted no questions asked or tolerated, especially if it causes more issues than any good for the employee and does not fit their work profile/vision/method at all. At that point, there should be some compromises made on both ends, neither one should be stubborn and conservative, overlooking the other. Worst case scenario, if no compromise can be made on each or either end for any reason, parting their separate ways would be the best solution. This is nothing bad, just means that the employee knows what they are seeking for as a career and that the certain place did not match it and their needs, or any other reasons, of which can be many, depending on the individual and the workplace. Meanwhile, it could also be the reverse, that the employer expected something different, both parties misunderstood each other or were not clear enough and it just did not work out.
For Future Me
Nonetheless, all experiences are still experiences and we learn from them. So, learning from this experience, my outlook for the future is that I will know (more certainly than I already did) what kind of jobs are not for me and what areas similar to my field of sound design/audio post-production and scoring, I should avoid. Another thing I would do differently is starting the job search earlier even if it seems too early. Better early than too late. On a better note, this was a really good experience in job searching and seeing just how long it can take, communicating by email with different employers, sending around my portfolio and CV, as well as seeing what some of the requirements are for the jobs that I would love to do in the future. I hope that all of these experiences, bad and not, as well as communication and search skills will help me in the future to find more fitting jobs as time goes.