Gawd-bothering Gospel

[A27Hull]

Hi all, this is a response I just sent to a fellow blogger, in a different sense, I guess it almost relates to the issue here...keeping your personal out of your, um... businessal...

He has a blog that features polictical activism as a main theme. my blog is devoted to my audio production services. He invited me to swap links for our blogs, but I had to refuse, and my reason for it is simple:

"Hello Steve,

Thanks for the look, but I cannot post a link to your site. Your blog looks very nice too, btw!

In life, I've found, there are at least three conversational subjects deemed socially and practically unacceptable for business related discussions. In no particular order, they are: religion, politics and personal relationships. I scanned over your blog and noticed a high degree of language that has a tone of political activism.

In my personal life, I, like everyone else, have my own agendas and convictions. However, my business and audio discussion blog must maintain a solely professional attitude, and must exclude any topic matter deemed to be divisive. I don't know or consider it my business to know about my clients personal lives or political beliefs. I'm in the business of solving problems, not fueling existing problems or creating more.

Please understand that I value our privilege to speak our minds freely concerning religion, politics, and so on. But I cannot in good conscience alienate existing or potential clients by taking side on issues that really do not concern my profession.

I am an audio engineer and producer, and my job is to make good music. I'm sure you can see where I am coming from.

I am totally willing to diverge my own personal beliefs on the mentioned topics on a one to one basis.

Thank you for taking the time to view my blog, and my best wishes to you and yours.

Respectfully,

Andrew Wayland"

Here is his blog: http://empiresfall.blogspot.com/

Here is my blog: http://afarawayland.blogspot.com/

I have my own convictions on religion and politics and stuff, like everyone else. Further, I personally would find it very hard to record a Satanist or Cult band/artist on my time and enjoy it. However, I know that in my life, situations like this are not going to come to me without a reason for them coming. To be less Vague, if God gives me a Satanist or Athiest band to record, I'll do it. I believe that there would be more going on in that than I can see.

Regardless of the situation, the less I know about a clients personal beliefs and convictions, the easier it is to maintain a professional relationship with my clients.

Doctors keep their personal emotions and convictions well hid from their patients. His job concerns taking care of a patient's health, not critiquing the patients lifestyle or choices. The doctor does his best to suggest the most healthy way to live, but in his mind he knows, the patient is responsible for living their own life. A mechanic does the same with the cars he works on.

My own personal convictions about the topics above have nothing to do with me as an engineer. As GM would suggest, my job as an engineer is to record the music, and thats it. If I bring my personal convictions into my business, my business puts up barriers that say, "I don't like your convictions if they are different than mine." I think this will push clients away rather than bring them in.

Topics like religion and politics immediately put people on "sides."

Obviously this is bad for business, since you all want to be on the same side.

my $.02

Andrew

[Sqye]

well said