Comments on: Bureaucracy http://www.adambe.com/2008/06/15/bureaucracy/ My personal blog Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:36:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ezra Butler http://www.adambe.com/2008/06/15/bureaucracy/#comment-8 Ezra Butler Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:01:52 +0000 http://www.adambe.com/?p=6#comment-8 Adam, Just read this now (after I looked at your new post). For this reason, I divide the job into milestone payments, and I don't continue with the job until I get paid. It doesn't help with the bureaucracy, which still drag decisions on a long time, but it helps out a bit with money. Adam,

Just read this now (after I looked at your new post).

For this reason, I divide the job into milestone payments, and I don’t continue with the job until I get paid.

It doesn’t help with the bureaucracy, which still drag decisions on a long time, but it helps out a bit with money.

]]> By: Adam Benayoun http://www.adambe.com/2008/06/15/bureaucracy/#comment-7 Adam Benayoun Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:54:47 +0000 http://www.adambe.com/?p=6#comment-7 By the way ealz, I have read the summary of the book and I Really liked the subject. People never mean what they says, so when someone tells me "To tell you the truth" in between his phrases, I always ask "did you lie to me until now?" and they usually stops and think about that. Alas, there's a broad range of phrases we as Israelis says without thinking about them. (Another one is "What's up?" while the one asking that expect only one answer "Good, and you?) Anyway thanks for the book, hope I'll find some time to read it. By the way ealz, I have read the summary of the book and I Really liked the subject.
People never mean what they says, so when someone tells me “To tell you the truth” in between his phrases, I always ask “did you lie to me until now?” and they usually stops and think about that.
Alas, there’s a broad range of phrases we as Israelis says without thinking about them. (Another one is “What’s up?” while the one asking that expect only one answer “Good, and you?)
Anyway thanks for the book, hope I’ll find some time to read it.

]]> By: Adam Benayoun http://www.adambe.com/2008/06/15/bureaucracy/#comment-6 Adam Benayoun Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:49:41 +0000 http://www.adambe.com/?p=6#comment-6 Ealz, thanks for the support. I am lucky that I can tunnel my energy toward a post rather than getting angry. Anyway today I have faxed them the papers they requested and called to check if they received it. It seems they aren't working past 4 PM :) Ealz, thanks for the support. I am lucky that I can tunnel my energy toward a post rather than getting angry. Anyway today I have faxed them the papers they requested and called to check if they received it.
It seems they aren’t working past 4 PM :)

]]> By: Ealz http://www.adambe.com/2008/06/15/bureaucracy/#comment-5 Ealz Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:43:11 +0000 http://www.adambe.com/?p=6#comment-5 Wow, Adam, I was very sorry to read this...A very unfortunate but all too common tale for freelancers in the Israeli landscape. I have had the pleasure of stumbling across an amusing new Israeli book on these painful subjects - check it out when you have time: http://www.am-oved.co.il/HTMLs/product.aspx?C1010=19170&BSP=13469 Wow, Adam, I was very sorry to read this…A very unfortunate but all too common tale for freelancers in the Israeli landscape. I have had the pleasure of stumbling across an amusing new Israeli book on these painful subjects - check it out when you have time: http://www.am-oved.co.il/HTMLs/product.aspx?C1010=19170&BSP=13469

]]> By: Adam Benayoun http://www.adambe.com/2008/06/15/bureaucracy/#comment-4 Adam Benayoun Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:43:09 +0000 http://www.adambe.com/?p=6#comment-4 Hey Amit, I'm glad you're reading my blog. Anyway I never stated this would happen in bigger company only, but you have to see the difference. While your small customers were blatantly lying to you and trying to defer the payment using really bad techniques. Some of these big companies are doing the same without even knowing this is the case, sometimes it is a ridiculously bureaucracy mechanism that slow down payment, sometimes some idiot in the lower food chain that "take the law in his hands" and sometimes it's just luck. But end of the day, the outcome are the same either way. Hey Amit,

I’m glad you’re reading my blog. Anyway I never stated this would happen in bigger company only, but you have to see the difference.

While your small customers were blatantly lying to you and trying to defer the payment using really bad techniques. Some of these big companies are doing the same without even knowing this is the case, sometimes it is a ridiculously bureaucracy mechanism that slow down payment, sometimes some idiot in the lower food chain that “take the law in his hands” and sometimes it’s just luck.

But end of the day, the outcome are the same either way.

]]> By: Amit Zinman http://www.adambe.com/2008/06/15/bureaucracy/#comment-3 Amit Zinman Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:37:15 +0000 http://www.adambe.com/?p=6#comment-3 I hear you man. If you think this only plagues large company, I strongly beg to differ. I've had two clients who just wouldn't pay. They all had a large bag of excuses. "We've sent you the check, it should be there any moment now", "There must have been something wrong with the money transfer", "Please send us a few obscure forms signed by you and IRS because we require it" and "We didn't get the forms. Did you send them? There must be something wrong with the mail". There are amazing e-mail problems all of a sudden and sent versions seem to mysteriously get lost. The only option is to request some of the payment in advance or at least checks for a later date, and to be prepared to tell no to clients and severe relationships if payments are not recieved. I hear you man. If you think this only plagues large company, I strongly beg to differ. I’ve had two clients who just wouldn’t pay. They all had a large bag of excuses. “We’ve sent you the check, it should be there any moment now”, “There must have been something wrong with the money transfer”, “Please send us a few obscure forms signed by you and IRS because we require it” and “We didn’t get the forms. Did you send them? There must be something wrong with the mail”. There are amazing e-mail problems all of a sudden and sent versions seem to mysteriously get lost.
The only option is to request some of the payment in advance or at least checks for a later date, and to be prepared to tell no to clients and severe relationships if payments are not recieved.

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