We all know them. They are fairly easy to spot and, just like day-old fish, you can almost smell them as they close in on you. Who are these annoying and costly parasitic types? They are time wasters, users and various and sundry other types of hangers-on. They have a central commonality: they sap you of your valuable time and energy, and almost never provide a return.
These wasters come in all sizes and shapes. As an example: if you are selling products, goods or services to a customer and at the initial meeting the potential buyer starts talking about huge orders and putting you on the map. This is a warning signal. There is always a catch with these too-good-to-be-true customers. Before they give you the biggest order on the planet, they always have a few minor requests. Typically, they want you to jump through hoops, which takes your valuable time. It could be a free study, in-depth analysis, meeting after meeting, but the net result is always the same: nada.
There are also wasters and users who have infiltrated companies and organizations impersonating productive employees. They have the great idea that never seems to pan out. And to get to the next step, they want to have numerous meetings with you and 10 of your closest associates, only to have you sit down and find out that these users haven’t a clue how to get started. Worse yet, they are poorly prepared for the meeting they have called to kick-off their project. Avoid these associates like the plague.
Some of the worst offenders are people you don’t really know. Perhaps you meet them at a conference, on an airplane, and suddenly they are your best friend. On the plane, before its reached cruising altitude, you have heard about their dramatic successes and how they are on the verge of hitting it even bigger. By the time you touch down, you think, “I hope I never see this guy again in this lifetime.” No such luck. You get the call from your former seatmate saying, “Just checking in.” But really, your newfound friend wants to “network with you” and be introduced to anybody and everybody you know so he can “help them get to the next level.” Translation: your former co-passenger wants to use you in any way and in every way he can.
So, what is the best way to handle these situations and at the same time not come off as a jerk? No easy task, but a straightforward approach works best. Listen and learn, and quickly size-up those with whom you do business, recognizing if what they are saying makes sense, and you can reach their expectations or they yours, and do so in an effective and economical manner. If the answer is no, walk away.
For the co-workers who spend more time calling meetings than producing results, make them put in a memo what the purpose is of the meeting they are proposing, how long it will take, the agenda and the objective.
On the flip side, learn to spot people who might be dreamers, but are also doers. People who may need a favor or a contact, but people who don’t over-stay their welcome and who might return the favor someday. Remember what goes around, comes around. Finally, make sure every encounter passes the smell test because, as they say, “no good deed ever goes unpunished.” ●
Editor’s Note: As we commemorate 20 years of columns from Michael Feuer, we’re revisiting some of the earliest columns he wrote for the magazine. This award-winning column contains valuable lessons that bear repeating.
Visit Michael Feuer’s website www.TipsFromTheTop.info to learn more about his columns, watch videos and purchase his books, “The Benevolent Dictator” and “Tips From The Top.”
