play the game to win

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Posted by Catherine Cartwright Jones on October 2, 2001 at 02:50:46:

In reply to: Grumpy me having trouble with henna politics at Renn Fair- help? posted by Lauren on October 1, 2001 at 21:08:02:

As you said:

Get everything in writing. Print out pertinant emails, with the
headers, get contracts, get every last damn piece of paper for
business you can! In the world of beurocracy, paper is king!

Arrive on site with all pertinant papers in your hands. ALL the
emails, contracts etc, and be prepared to show them to anyone with a
walkie talkie and keys. Don't sweat making friends. Just get
everything RIGHT, and demand same of everyone else. My husband used
to be an excellent ally in this .... after a 9 hour drive across
country, (building up a tremendous migraine) finding our contract
violated in all five cardinal directions, he'd do a brilliant job of
verbally shredding the manager. Persently, I handle this job myself.
With glee.

Most festivals are cl*stervf*cks. ( I've been to over 500) The
management is often over extended, confused, and went into hiding the
day before with a bottle each of valium and vodka, because everyone
was yelling at them at once. The only thing you can rely on is your
own impeccable paperwork, and your willingness to channel your inner
Schutzhund.

You'll get better with practice. Get a written commitment on
everything. Verbal contracts are used by people who prefer to be able
to slip and slide about, and are particularly used by the
manipulative, devious and dodgy. Get it on paper, and make 'em stick
to it. Choose the battles you know you can win. Let up on anything
that is trivial (or unwinnable). If you can't win, you at least can
have the satisfaction of chewing them out with your paperwork in front
of a large group of people. They've probably pissed off other people,
who will cheer you on.

One battle that is generally not winnable: electricity. You will be
promised electricity. You will not get it. When you don't get it you
won't be able to get anyone to budge ... because management forgot
that electricity is controlled by a union and nobody gets to plug
anything in without one of them approving. And .... every sensible
union man has HIS paperwork on a nice clipboard, in triplicate,and is
nowhere to be found. (if you have your copy of the triplicate electric
form, you can show it to someone, but they'll have to refer it on, and
that will take about 6 cell phone calls and 5 business days so give
up, the festivals over!)

Yup, we didn't get electricity again yesterday..... and the
disorganization was legendary.

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: As you said: : : Get everything in writing. Print out pertinant emails, with the : headers, get contracts, get every last damn piece of paper for : business you can! In the world of beurocracy, paper is king! : : Arrive on site with all pertinant papers in your hands. ALL the : emails, contracts etc, and be prepared to show them to anyone with a : walkie talkie and keys. Don't sweat making friends. Just get : everything RIGHT, and demand same of everyone else. My husband used : to be an excellent ally in this .... after a 9 hour drive across : country, (building up a tremendous migraine) finding our contract : violated in all five cardinal directions, he'd do a brilliant job of : verbally shredding the manager. Persently, I handle this job myself. : With glee. : : Most festivals are clstervfcks. ( I've been to over 500) The : management is often over extended, confused, and went into hiding the : day before with a bottle each of valium and vodka, because everyone : was yelling at them at once. The only thing you can rely on is your : own impeccable paperwork, and your willingness to channel your inner : Schutzhund. : : You'll get better with practice. Get a written commitment on : everything. Verbal contracts are used by people who prefer to be able : to slip and slide about, and are particularly used by the : manipulative, devious and dodgy. Get it on paper, and make 'em stick : to it. Choose the battles you know you can win. Let up on anything : that is trivial (or unwinnable). If you can't win, you at least can : have the satisfaction of chewing them out with your paperwork in front : of a large group of people. They've probably pissed off other people, : who will cheer you on. : : One battle that is generally not winnable: electricity. You will be : promised electricity. You will not get it. When you don't get it you : won't be able to get anyone to budge ... because management forgot : that electricity is controlled by a union and nobody gets to plug : anything in without one of them approving. And .... every sensible : union man has HIS paperwork on a nice clipboard, in triplicate,and is : nowhere to be found. (if you have your copy of the triplicate electric : form, you can show it to someone, but they'll have to refer it on, and : that will take about 6 cell phone calls and 5 business days so give : up, the festivals over!) : : Yup, we didn't get electricity again yesterday..... and the : disorganization was legendary.
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