when there’s a weak link in the chain
Most of the time I really enjoy being isolated from the end client. I speak only with a (usually) knowledgable project manager. But sometimes there are big communications problems. And more often, there are delays. What I really don’t like is when my client is under a tight deadline with their client, and even though I complete my work on time, they wait until the last minute to tell me about necessary changes. Then, even though I’ve been timely with my end, I get all the stress of having to make last minute changes before the bell. I don’t know if it’s just in my head or not, but there is an implied stress of my client’s image being negatively effected because I couldn’t clean up their mess quickly enough. Even when it’s not a matter of my working efficiently or not, but a physical restraint.
Take tonight, for instance. There was just no way possible for my computer to convert Quicktime .mov videos into Flash .flv files. But I still felt a lot of pressure. I tried willing my computer to go faster. But alas…. There was just a general state of “this sucks.” Sigh.