NBC was in town last week for the NFC West NFL game with the Seahawks and Rams. I was blessed with the opportunity to work for a few days with the production crew, then switched over to the technical/broadcast crew for the game on Sunday. After the win by Seattle ( Yeah!) NBC let us know they would be in town next week for the first round playoff game, although it was going to be a different production and broadcast crew coming in, ( don't ask, it makes a lot of sense for the people here to just stay I know, but it's much more complicated then logic would dictate). Anyway, I was pulled aside and talked to about coming in on Wednesday and helping with the "shipping" by one of the tech managers and I was also told I would be getting a call from the production side to again be a runner/production assistant just as I had been this last weekend. I let them know that I had a couple of evening commitments on Wednesday and Thursday and that I was already scheduled to work for FSN at the UW men's basketball game as a utility and that I would be able to get someone to cover that spot for me, so I would be available to work on Saturday as a utility, (just as I had done the previous week). All seemed in order and went to find my car with a dead battery! (that was a fun way to end a long day)
Monday comes and I am contacted and advised that I am now going to be the stage manager for the UW basketball game, a job that I much prefer at a better day rate. The catch here is that now I cannot drop the basketball game and work the football game for NBC. I had already contacted someone to cover the utility spot for me for the FSN gig and called to see if he would be ok working the NFL game...silly question! He was in and I made a call to NBC headquarters and left a message for the crewer to give me a call. Feeling that I had the situation in hand, I was glad I had been able to cover myself, I was still able to work Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for NBC so I didn't think much of it. Shortly thereafter, a call comes from New York and it is the production manager calling to see if I'm available to be his production assistant as I had been the previous week. I let him know of my evening commitments and that the situation on game day had switched and I wasn't available any longer, but I had someone who was amply qualified to take my spot. At this time I was under the impression that I would be there Wednesday morning to handle the shipping as I had already discussed and he said we could work out the details on Wednesday. So far so good...if you're still reading this, "thanks for your patience!" i'm getting to the good stuff soon...
This morning I get the confirmation from the crewer at FSN I am in fact the stage manager, he had to move me due to the fact that so many others had bailed on the show and were now working the football game. I let him know that I too was scheduled for the football game but would stick with him out of loyalty in the hope that he would remember my sacrifice for him down the road and use me to fill openings that occurred in his schedule. He was thankful and let me know that he appreciated me making the effort. As I told him, I would rather do the stage manage gig, but the football job paid more, so any extra days he could send my way would be appreciated by me. I also let him know that I was still scheduled to work the three days prior for NBC so it was a total loss from the employment perspective. Little did I know that within a couple of hours that would all change.
At about 1:30pm my time (4;30pm eastern time) I got a call from the technical crewer from NBC who had hired me the week before and whom I had left a message for the previous day. He started out telling me that I was booked for four days, Wednesday through Saturday and I would be doing the shipping all week long. This was news to me as my discussion on Sunday was not specific about what I would be doing and I thought I had been clear as to my situation. I let him know how my situation had changed and I was no longer available on Saturday, but I had someone to fill my spot for him. His tone immediately changed and I could tell he was not happy with the information I was giving him. I let him know I had talked with the production manager yesterday and had explained my situation to him and he had said that we would work it out on Wednesday morning. This sent him into a small tirade about who was who and who I should be listening to, but ultimately it sounded like it was all being laid at my feet for the miscommunication and problems I had created. With a terse and abrupt comment he let me know that I was most likely not going to be working for them at all as Saturday was the most important day for me to be there and he would look into it and call me back. The line went dead and I was left alone to take a few deep breaths and reflect on how I had gone from four days of work to one and in the process been made to be the scapegoat?
Patience is the exercise of self-control and the challenge to hold your tongue when emotions inside want to come out uncensored and unfiltered. The previous few days of working on my patience paid dividends while I was on the phone. My first response was to fire back that I had done all I could and the fact that they had too many people with separate agendas and little communication between the factions was NOT my fault. Although I was in the middle and the nexus of the scheduling issues, I felt in no way responsible for the way things were working out. I tried to communicate at every turn what my circumstance was and how I could be of help within the time frame I had available. I could sense the frustration of the NBC crewer and the "problems" I had created for him. Of course, I didn't have the big picture and never understood that by accepting the shipping position for Wednesday that it included the next three days, nor did I realize that it was a separate job from the production assistant job that I had done the previous week. I just wanted to help in whatever role they felt I could be of most use. I certainly was not double, even triple booking myself intentionally. Holding my tongue and just taking the comments and tone from the NBC crewer was difficult. I really wanted to defend myself, but as I was taking the deep breath and working on my patience, I realized that anything I said wouldn't actually make any difference. The facts were out there, I had already explained the situation so I decided to just let it play out and see what would happen. PATIENCE. Four hours later the call came in. I could tell my his tone right away that the news was not favorable. Bottom line, the problem was mine and that I was not going to working for the technical/broadcast side of the production for any days and that I was no longer needed. He let me know that I created the problem and I would have to just deal with the fact that if I couldn't be there on Saturday, they weren't going to use me at all. Not the news I wanted to hear, but pretty much what I was expecting after the previous call. I apologized for any miscommunication that occurred due to me and let him know I was sorry that we couldn't work it out. He really didn't want to hear it and said to me that I was "on my own" on this one, just before he hung up.
Thing like this happen in life all the time. I try to maintain an even keel and to make sure that I do my best to communicate with honesty and integrity. To give notice as soon as I am aware of a potential conflict and make an effort to have a resolution in place to alleviate any additional work for others involved are the main items I try to cover. In the past I have failed miserably at this due to my lack of patience and being quick to jump to conclusions with emotional outbursts which tend to only exacerbate the situation.
Hence the resolve now to exercise my patience and work on listening to the others position and concern before I strike out in my defense. More importantly, while I am taking the deep breath I am trying to focus on hearing the word of God inside me, to sense His presence in my heart which is a balm to the strife and conflict I find myself immersed. It only takes a split second of focus to bring a sense of calm and foundation into my head and allow me to hold my tongue and let the other have their say. I find myself quicker to apologize for any perceived slight on my part and less inclined to seek retribution or acknowledgement for my deeds. These are things which in the past I felt I was entitled to. I am a flawed and faulted individual with many weaknesses and glaring deficiencies, but it is in those times when I am weakest that God has the opportunity to be at His greatest! I pray that I may be a tool for God, a tool for good and be used as a way for His light, His love to shine. I will continue to make mistakes (hopefully fewer) and most likely be perceived as causing problems for others (hopefully not as grand) but through the exercise of self-control and the discipline of patience, by listening to the voice of God inside me and then acting accordingly I will become a better person.
Oh, finally...after hearing that I was cancelled off the show all together, I sent a text to the production manager and let him know that I was no longer working any days and not doing any of the shipping and I was not available on Saturday at all. I wanted to make sure all the communication was followed up on. Amazingly, he texted me right back and said he was thrilled to hear that I he wanted me to show up tomorrow morning at 9am and work for him the next three days, he'd find someone else for Saturday and was glad the other group had let me go so he didn't have to fight for my services! WHAT?!?!
Thank you God for the challenges you present me with and the opportunities to better myself through You. In my weakness you are strong and through Your strength I will prevail. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings, because Thursday night it's Viking vs Rams in an epic battle on the court for the boys first home game of 2011 and I will be on the mic letting the Lord's passion, love and enthusiasm flow through me! See you at the gym...
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