Lack of accountability on a collaborative, professional project is a form of gas-lighting.
Lapsing on deadlines without following up; ignoring multiple emails for requests on an ETA of a project that was due three weeks prior; coming into projects without having done any due diligence or review of the subject at hand are all examples of shortfalls in taking ownership of a project.
As a freelancer that manages and collaborates on creative and marketing projects for companies, managing the vendor behaviors described above ensures I will never work with that vendor again, and will pass that information onto the powers at be I am working for on behalf of the project.
When situations like the above happen, it leaves me feeling as though I am the crazy one. As though I misinterpreted a binding contract as anything but. The stress that comes from having to manage a vendor or team that wasn't prepared to take on the project - or simply doesn't care to bring their best to it is multi-fold. The top layer of that fold being the fear that the project will not be completed at all. Tucked into the layers are the communication blockades - "how can I best communicate the disappointment of a lapsed deadline without prompting further retaliation from the vendor who still owes me a project that thousands of dollars were spent on?" Lastly, I also have to contend with my moral feelings when it comes to a situation like this. While I understand my personal feelings don't warrant space in a professional email asking for a status report from a vendor that has gone dark, I still have them. If a vendor can't produce something they promised, and does not take responsibility for it, I see that as disrespect - toward me, toward the project, and the people who have hired us.
A point of distinction on this is that much of this stress could be avoided if the vendor in question sends a preemptive email along the lines of "Hey, I realize I was X amount of weeks late on this project. I want you to know I'm sorry, and am re-committed to the project." All I am looking for is recognition that the problem exists, and there's a solution to remedy it. (All in time to make the original deadline for the project.)
The phenomenon that's happening here though, is that as the entity managing vendors that go AWOL like this can lead to burn-out. What's too bad about independent marketing consultants, project managers, and creatives leaving the industry is that it tips the scale on who can provide these services at a level that small businesses and non-profits can manage.
In the world of marketing there are many routes a business or non-profit can go when developing and implementing a media and marketing plan.
* There's working with an independent contractor - a singular person running a business and offering services needed for the project. Usually there aren't any other employees, and if there are, they are also paid as independent contractors. There's very little overhead worked into the financials of the contract, and therefore pricing can be calculated differently. That said, typically independent contractors are not running an operation that provides liberty to pay for comprehensive tools or software to deliver far-reaching, metric-counting results. And as a client, you may have to piecemeal multiple contractors together with specific skills (which means managing more people) to achieve the goal of the project.
* That's where agencies come in. High-functioning agencies can provide a plethora of professional services and have media relationships that offer a high probability of garnering PR coverage, and shareable content on behalf of your business or project. They have multiple employees with specific skill sets, and the ability to pay for software subscriptions that offer deep dive implementation, data, and services. Of course someone has to pay for that - as well as the rent on the office, and the salaries of the staff.
Both options have merit, and there's a time and a place to hire a freelancer and an agency.
The sweet spot of the work I do, is working with small, yet high-growth non-profits and businesses. These entities have an incredible mission, great product, and passionate staff, but they do not have the systems in place to manage unexpected growth. They're good at driving in the lanes of the positions they were hired for, but don't have the skill sets to match the demand of new customers or donors. I work with these businesses and non-profits to get clear on their branding and messaging; I implement organizational systems around media and content; I implement said content, and then I hand them a marketing kit that allows them to pick-up where I leave off. And I'm always around for support if they run into a creative or technical road-block. I do all of this on a flexible time-line and within a budget that they can manage. Typical projects I work on range from $3,000.00 to $5,000.00 to $10,000.00.
Whereas, projects I've collaborated with agencies have ranged from $40,000.00 to $75,000.00 to $125,000.00.
The goal of working with an independent contractor should be to provide the businesses and non-profits the ability to offer more value and showcase it to their guests and donors to build more awareness, dollars, and donors.
With more dollars, comes the ability to pay for an agency, which can take the foundations I have helped these businesses build, and expand on it exponentially.
Independent contractors are a stop along the way to great success for businesses. Losing more of them from the market means a widening gap on what entities can and cannot put their best face forward when it comes to a polished marketing and media plan that clearly states their work, mission, and product, and what it could do for their audience. (Let alone even finding the right audience for them.)
What's the solution to this? Pairing stress management skills on the part of the independent contractor with business etiquette skills on the part of the vendor? Could it simply be as simple as writing an email saying "Hey, I haven't brought my best to this project, and I want to remedy that going forward?" Maybe. And if so, that might just be the easiest problem I've ever had to trouble-shoot.