Black People Problems

Is it just me, or does anyone else notice how difficult WE can be in Business when it comes to answering calls, returning calls, leaving messages, retrieving messages, following thru on a Business proposal that WE initiate, reading emails and responding to emails?

Well guess what? It’s not just me! Today a white Colleague made it a point to vent to me about how “Black people have issues with cell phones.”

I was embarrassed because admittedly I don’t like OTHERS calling US out on our bullsh*t. The fantasy part of my brain always wants to take care of some of our problems in-house. But I agree with EVERYTHING he said:

“Every time I go to call a Black person, sorry, African American, they don’t answer or they Text back or their voice mail is full! These are business related calls and it just seems like African Americans come with too many phone rules. They never pick up. They don’t check messages. They don’t call back AND they want you to take too many steps to communicate. I don’t have time. I never have these issues with white Talent or Talent from other races.”

OUCH!

  

Now here’s the thing…I did NOT want to agree OUT LOUD. But I felt everything he was saying in my chest!

WE sure are some elitist mofos when it comes to communication. Why does it seem as if WE are too good or too busy to communicate effectively and thoroughly when OTHERS don't seem to have any issues doing it?

Don't get me wrong...I'm not saying WE all do it. Maybe it's just the Black people I encounter, that I'm related to, or are friends with or have done business with or who reach out to me with potential business opportunities. Well that's damn near everyone...except the OTHERS!

Yikes!

Not that OTHERS don't have their own quirks when it comes to communicating. But whether it's verbally or digitally, I haven't come across many non-Black piss poor communicators such as US.

Crazy, right?

What's wrong with US? Why do WE hate voice mail so much? Why is leaving pertinent information in a message so "annoying" to US when there could be money involved? Why instead of leaving a message, WE hang up to send a Text?

Why does it take sending the same fucking email 4 times before WE finally read it? But then WE don't really read it, do WE? Not when WE are asking for the SAME info that's in the email WE are replying from. Smh.

Or...

WE get an email, need more information from the sender, then proceed to abandon the email that has a reply option to send a Text requesting the additional info. So you'd rather a bunch of business related Texts when you were just in the email?!

And while I'm still in the asking mood...Why do WE wait 6 hours for a Text response when WE could have called to ask for the same info WE are waiting 6 hours for? So WE won't make a movement until WE get a Text? I'm sorry but that's dumb.

A colleague once pulled her car over to not only send a Text but wait for a response. After 30 minutes, I suggested she call. She refused. After an hour I wanted to be dropped off. Why would I want to sit in a car waiting for a Text? She never got a response but that night at the event we were in town for, the person she Texted asked, "Why didn't you just call?"

On another relative note...Why do WE propose a business opportunity then disappear without at least saying, "I'm sorry, it fell thru"? Or, "the dates have been changed; will get in touch when I have an update." I don't get those correspondences from US. I get them from OTHERS.

What the hell is wrong with US?

And it appears that the new hotness in the streets is: After you call, send an email, text, Tweet, Facebook, Instagram and BBM, WE are STILL supposed to remind people about something business related. Why?

I don’t have to remind you to get up in the morning.

I don’t have to remind you to get a check you're owed.

I don’t have to remind you to get to work or to your business on time.

So why do I have to text, Tweet, Facebook, Instagram and BBM, and basically STALK you for a response?

Look...I realize none of US are perfect, but for some reason WE have extra rules when it comes to THE simplest shit.

I remember dating a guy who told me that if he didn't answer his personal cell or the business cell, then I should call his home phone...but only if it was after 10. Before ten I was to send a Text letting him know I called both personal cell and business cell.

Whaaaaaaaat?

I recently tried to connect with someone for business. She initiated, I followed thru. I called and left 2 messages and she replied back via Blackberry Messenger requesting that I call her back at a designated time.

Ummm...no. If I called YOU and left 2 messages, why not just call me back when you can talk? That's what return-calls are! Someone calls you, YOU call back. If you can't talk until a certain time then YOU should call back at that time.

Hello?

I have a former Client who needs help every now and then but doesn't like the sound of his voice...Soooooo he does not leave voice mail. Huh? Who cares how your voice sounds?! It's business! You think how your voice sounds will affect my money?

And I was just introduced to a potential client via email and instead of replying to the emails that include ALL of the business related info and questions, he decides to Text a dissertation. Ummm. Why? His response, "Iphone users don't check email like that."

Oh.

I used to take all of these things personally until I realized that many people go thru the same thing with US. But this can't be a Black thing...can it?

I get returned calls, invoices paid, confirmations, email responses with the proper people copied in the email, ETAs when a deadline is missed, explanations as to why a deal fell thru, full information when it comes to an event or meeting, and voice mail messages from OTHERS. From US...not as much. But the irony is, WE don't always do OTHERS like that...but we consistently do it to each other...WE do it to US. All day! (With excuses as to why WE do.)

Let's be honest here...It's waaaaaack! Yet I find more and more of US having these rules, quirks and habits when it comes to Business.

Well it must be working fine because I don't see any changes for the better! If anything I see and hear more and more "woe is me" type complaints from WE who are "annoyed" by those of US who want to communicate.

Must be nice to be that busy or that rich. I don't have it like that! I have to check my voice mail and read and respond to my emails because those who pay me don't play those games or have time for off-the-wall-rules. I couldn't imagine telling an Executive Producer that I didn't get his or her message because I don't check messages! 

Yeah, ok.

C.M.J