In audio production, skill and creativity are essential, but they're only part of the equation. Your ability to grow and adapt in the field often hinges on your interactions with others—be it colleagues, mentors, or even demanding clients. It's these interpersonal dynamics that can stretch you beyond your comfort zone and contribute to a more robust skill set.
School Parent Interviews
Our daughter is nearly nine and every year, as in virtually every school on the planet, we have parent interviews at least once a year. It’s a chance to review how learning is progressing and also to talk through any concerns. After several years my wife and I have worked out exactly what will be said. Our daughter is bright and hard working, so we have no concerns in that area. The teacher goes through that part of the conversation to tell us how well she is doing and we are waiting for the ‘but!’ There it is, every year without fail… “but she’s awfully quiet!” I’m not sure what they want us to say, I know they are not suggesting they would prefer her to be one of the kids that likes the sound of their own voice. However, it’s always said as if there’s a problem. There isn’t, like my wife, AND unlike me, our daughter is quiet. It’s her wiring. There’s nothing wrong. We know some parents are going to be having the other conversation. I know my parents had some ‘he just doesn’t shut up!’ moments with my teacher. In our family I’m the odd one out, I think out loud, can converse with anyone, and speak a great deal. The rest of the family are the opposite.
It’s taught me a valuable lesson about how introverts and those who prefer silence to noise work. It’s helped me grow and to appreciate that not everyone is like me, and often the person with the most interesting insight isn’t the loud one in the room.
I’ve also begun to appreciate how different personalities and demanding clients are an opportunity for us to grow.
The Comfort of Similarity, the Growth in Difference
They say that ‘birds of a feather, flock together.’ In other words we like being around people like us. Working with people who think and operate like you can be reassuring. However, it's easy to get stuck in a professional bubble where you're not being challenged.
Over the years I’ve realised that if I have any chance of growing I need to be around people who are nothing like me. People who stretch me, who show me another way. If I avoid those people, jobs, and clients who don’t challenge me, then I get stuck.
I used to run 5K on a Saturday morning, on the treadmill at the gym. I did it for several reasons. First, it was flat, second it was dry, and third I didn’t have anyone else to push me. I’ve started running with a Dad from school, we now run on the streets. It’s not flat, certainly not always dry, and he’s there to push me. We’re not racing, but those difference take my running to another level. It’s still 5K, but now with some differences.
Perhaps you feel stuck? Think about collaborating with someone whose approach is different to yours. For example, if you're a 'big picture' thinker, the attention to detail offered by a more meticulous colleague can help you catch errors you might otherwise miss. Likewise, your visionary tendencies could help them see beyond the nitty-gritty to consider the project's broader impact.
Silent Wisdom and Vocal Confidence
Coming back to personalities, it's easy to think that the loudest voice in the room is the most knowledgeable. Extroverts can dominate meetings with their quick thinking and natural confidence, but this doesn't mean they have a monopoly on good ideas. Introverts often offer deep insights that come from careful consideration. The point here is not to dismiss the talkative individuals but to also create space for the quieter voices; both have their merits and can provide balanced perspectives when you listen to both.
I know in Experts meeting we have two or three deep, quiet thinkers. I make a point of asking for their opinion on subjects, to make sure we’ve heard from everyone in the room. It’s often the case their point of view helps us consider another way.
We often avoid differences, I’m always worse off for doing so.
Lessons from the Client Trenches
Dealing with demanding clients is something most of us would rather avoid. However, these tough interactions offer their own form of career development. The client who insists on endless revisions can be seen as a rigorous 'editor,' forcing you to elevate your work to meet their high standards.
Provided the revisions are paid and within the agreed scope, each round is essentially a funded tutorial on improving your craft. The key to benefiting from this situation is your mindset: instead of taking criticism personally, see it as a growth opportunity.
Learning not to take things personally, especially when you're on your 25th revision, is an exercise in emotional resilience. This quality allows you to detach yourself from your work to some extent, enabling you to respond to feedback more objectively. Emotional resilience turns potential conflicts into learning opportunities, and it's a skill that gets honed with experience and varied interactions.
I know for sure that all of my clients benefit from the things learnt from demanding ones. The truth is, that just like people, each client brings their own distinct personality to a job, this create a symbiotic process that every client benefits from.
Where to Find Your Counterparts
Being aware of your strengths and limitations is the first step toward diversifying your professional interactions. Once you've identified what you're missing, seek out those who can provide it.
Online communities are an obvious option. Part of the problem with online communities is that we tend to turn what could be useful debates into personal attacks. Soon, what could have helped us to grow, has deteriated into something that pulls us all down. Social and forums are such febrile places that it’s hard to debate, in most case we simply have to find alternatives. I do like the Black Magic forum, where you have to use your real name, it prevents the keyboard warriors who can hide behind some nom de plume and say things they would never normally say.
Good old fashioned networking events, trade shows like NAMM, AES, and NAB, industry workshops, or closed online communities offer excellent opportunities for meeting people who can fill the gaps in your skill set and offer new perspectives. Some options that come to mind are things like the MPG in the UK. If you know of similar groups in your country then let us know in the comments.
Again, it’s worth remembering that ‘birds of a feather flock together’ so worth trying to build a peer group made up of different kinds of people.
Iron Sharpens Iron
Iron sharpens iron is an expression is that is derived from the book of Proverbs and sometimes used in faith communities. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” However, it’s worth understanding the science. For iron to sharpen iron, the sharpening iron has to be harder than the one needing sharpening. In other words, we grow when we surround ourselves with those better than us at certain things.
Surrounding yourself with a diverse range of personalities and learning how to adapt to challenging client demands not only rounds out your skill set but also prepares you for the unpredictable nuances of the industry. Next time you're faced with a seemingly difficult colleague or an overly demanding client, take a step back and consider the potential lessons hidden in the challenge. You might find that what first appears to be a hurdle is actually a stepping stone to a more fulfilling career.