High Standards

It's hard to work for someone like me.

It's because of that "perfection" and "professionalism" ethic lecture from Second Grade where we seven-year-olds learned the "New Math" of being three times better in order to be consider one-half as good.

It didn't help that my ultimate goal of becoming a lawyer took me to the environs of the third largest law firm in the city. There, the understood work, decorum, and work product standard was "letter perfect", no erasures, precise language, timely documents (court filings; mandatory standards for legal documents and instruments), proper English and grammar (no slang), reliance on good research.

To allow for moving even a smidge from those standards was evidence that you are not a professional and the client cannot and should not expect the best from you nor expect to receive quality product or services.

Even red-lined documents were frowned upon if the red-lining was done free-hand. Use of a straight edge to highlight the changes from the original was the only way documents were presented to the client.

Professional Journalism Influences

Moving into the realm of professional journalism reinforced the already established principles of writing and reporting. Facts (which are checked) are presented to the reader. Those facts are then used to allow the reader to form their opinion of the situation. Editorial has no place in balanced reporting. Gossip and hearsay are also not part of balanced reportage. If they are presented in the content, they are identified as such so that their reliability can be viewed with discretion.

Just as legal work and documents are products that carry a great amount of reliance on their credibility, so it goes with journalism. It is not a writing hobby. It's serious work. The product is something that the general public wants to be reliable.

Praise and Reward

Yes, I believe in praise and reward for improvements and for work well done. I believe in referrals so there's more than one income funnel available to service providers. A pauper's life is not conducive to doing one's best in the long run. Things wear out.

In the End

It's hard to work for someone like me. My standards are high and will not be compromised.