Never say, "I told you so."

When I suggested a transition for your video, you laughed at the simplicity of my thinking. It was such an old trick and things don't work like that anymore. The next thing I know, I am watching that program and there it is, the transition I mentioned. I knew then that even though you were downplaying my contribution that you valued my opinion. But you know what I didn't say. I didn't say, "I told you so."

I have listened to you tell other people that my programs are broken to discredit me without mentioning my name specifically. I have heard you put down what I am saying in meetings as though I have no idea what is going on. I recognized that we needed a specific status and that certain training that will safeguard our careers would not happen until we fought for that status. I said it loud enough that someone up chain listened and gave us that status. It changed everything. It will change how our career field perceives us.


I mentioned that we needed to build a better on the job training function and that one of the PDs should be in charge of mentoring the troops consistently. It will mean they have to work harder to get what they need for their program and the quality of their work may suffer a bit but that I was willing to do that because it was needed. We needed to build a deep bench because if we continued to push our star player, he would eventually burn out and then where would we be. 


That was two years ago. Now they have elevated you to lead producer and I hear you telling other people that you are willing to be the training mentor in the fashion I suggested. I said nothing. It is a brilliant idea. We both know whose it was. It doesn't matter to me that I get the credit for it. What is important is that these young, willing, engaged people get lit on fire for this job so they will want to stay. So I hope that when you say it, someone lets it happen.


I told you I was certain you would hate the job of manager because it didn't have anything to do with what you are passionate about. Then when they foist it upon you for a short term, you hated it. You hated the bureaucracy, the paperwork, the endless meetings. You make a big deal about me not striving to perfect my craft. That's because you don't understand what I have molded my craft to be. You are phenomenal at what you do. You care meticulously about getting the imagery right. People respect you for your ability. I respect you for your ability, I will never be as good at it as you. I don't want to be. But please, please don't make the mistake of assuming that I am trying to be better than you at that.


I struggled for the last four years trying to get you to see what I was trying to do. I realize that it was off putting when I came here and announced unabashedly what my aspirations were. But I believe that we should have a work place where people feel comfortable talking about where they want to be in life. I believe there are ways to help people achieve. I believe that even if they don't go to Hollywood and become producers that they will take the communication skills we teach them with them forward in life. These skills are so valuable in any field. 


No matter what happens. No matter how many of my supposedly wayward ideas you pick up and carry, I am not going to say, "I told you so." I don't need to lower you to elevate my own reputation. The only person who needed to see that I was brilliant, was you. You showed me you believe that from the beginning. I recognize your need to be "top dog" and that is fine. But you don't see what I see and that is what separates us.