Are You a Good Sport Freelancer?
Posted August 29, 2010 in Inspiration, Managing Clients
If you work online (and most freelancers do), how do you handle it when you encounter someone who doesn’t agree with you (or even like you)?
I grew up attending my brother’s little league games, and now I have the opportunity to watch my own children participate in sport activities. The one thing that nearly every coach stressed was good sportsmanship–which included the ability to get along with others on the team as well as the ability to handle losing gracefully.
Not only is good sportsmanship vital to good teamwork, it’s also a crucial attitude for the successful freelancer to have.
In this post, I’ll share some of those early lessons that I learned about good sportsmanship. We’ll look at how good sportsmanship can help your freelancing business. We’ll also list several ways for you to find and keep a more sportsmanlike freelancing attitude.
Why Good Sports Are More Professional
If you compare the two, you will note many similarities between good sportsmanship and professionalism:
- Good sports find a way to get along with their teammates; professional freelancers find a way to get along with their clients and peers
- Good sports don’t throw a tantrum when they lose a game; professional freelancers don’t throw a tantrum when they lose a project
- Good sports don’t call their opponents names; professional freelancers don’t call their competition names
- Good sports can be counted on to do their part; professional freelancers are reliable
- Good sports have a positive attitude; professional freelancers are optimistic
- Good sports play fair; professional freelancers are honest and above-board
To sum it up, good sportsmanship and professionalism are both about attitude.
Either you have a good one, or you don’t. But, the good news is that if you don’t have a good sport attitude, you can get it.
How to Find Your Good Sportsmanship
If you’re reading this and you recognize that you’ve been behaving in an unsportsmanlike, unprofessional manner–don’t lose heart. You can still change your ways.
Here are five ways to become a better sport:
- Choose to overlook the little things that would ordinarily annoy you. Okay, so the client completely changed your design and now the concept makes no sense. That’s bad–but, let’s face it. Worse things could happen. Be gracious and respectful anyway.
- Make a note of and celebrate the good things that happen. Keep a list of positive things and refer to it whenever you are tempted to fall into your old, negative ways. Spread that positive attitude every time you get a chance.
- Build close relationships with positive people who you respect. Some people lift you up and others tear you down. Make a point to spend as much time as possible with the people who encourage you.
- Always conduct your business with integrity. Being above-the-board and honest in all of your freelance business transactions will give your clients and colleagues a real reason to be positive and upbeat about you.
- Develop a thicker skin. Eventually, somewhere along the line, you’re going to run into somebody who just plain doesn’t like you.
Finding your good sportsmanship is important. Not only will being a good sport help you to be more professional, bad sports aren’t really as popular or successful as they might seem.
Bad Sports Are Not as Popular as They May Seem
Sometimes it seems that the online world is one that is filled with negativity.
Headlines screech accusations at the readers. Nearly every popular blog has one or two readers who seem to follow it solely so that they can leave a disparaging remark. Even many success “gurus” seem to depend on shock and negativity to build their audience.
If you’re a freelancer who is struggling to get ahead, it can be tempting to jump on the bad attitudes bandwagon. My advice? Don’t do it.
Don’t publicly whine about your minor disagreements with clients. Don’t put down other freelancers on message boards or in social media.
While negativity may be somewhat entertaining in the short term, in the long run, most businesses are looking for freelancers who live and act professionally.
Think about it this way. If you had a choice about who you could work with would you choose someone who was known for complaining or would you choose someone who was known for being respectful and who is easy to get along with? (I know who I would choose.)
What Do You Think?
Have you ever had to work with a bad sport? Would you do it again?
Leave your answers in the comments.
Image by design-dog
Related posts:
- The Power of Good Communication
- What is the cost of compromising on good design?
- How To Find, Save, and Create Your Own Good Ideas
- Ten Characteristics of a Good Client
About the author: Laura Spencer is a freelance writer from North Central Texas with over 20 years of professional business writing experience. If you liked this post, then you may also enjoy Laura’s blog about her freelance writing experiences, WritingThoughts. Laura is also on Google+.
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20 Comments
Jordan Walker
August 29th, 2010 at 9:42 amSomething to be said about taking the high road…fortunately I have never had the opportunity to work with someone how always makes disparaging remarks.
Jen
August 29th, 2010 at 3:55 pmThis is an excellent article, Laura. It’s a good reminder of how our clients expect us to act. We expect that they will be professional, so we should return the favor. It will make the working experience an overall better one.
Something to also keep in mind (in regards to publicly complaining or talking bad about other freelances)…it’s a small world. Your clients may read the same blogs you write for and comment on. It would be a good thing to stay positive (or at least not complain about the negative) about projects and clients. Also, you may never know when you’ll need to pull your resources or collaborate with a “competitor”. We’re all doing the same thing, we should try to be cordial and learn from one another!
Laura Spencer
August 29th, 2010 at 5:35 pmThanks Jordan and Jen!
In my opinion, there’s no such thing as being too professional. When in doubt, err on the side of professionalism…
The Freelance Geek
August 29th, 2010 at 8:08 pmIn the words of Baz Luhrmann “Remember compliments you receive; forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.”
Ameet
August 29th, 2010 at 11:01 pmI think not only in freelancing if you follow these tips in everything you do, you are bound to succeed
nikos lianeris
August 30th, 2010 at 1:21 amYes I have the opportunity to work with bad sport these days.I don’t do anything special in order to cope with them.I treat them with a big smile and when they accuse me I try discussion instead of fighting.I’ve always believed that you can achieve more with smiling and discussion! :)
TLC
August 30th, 2010 at 11:25 pmI just finished a project tonight with the “princess from hell” at a company where I’d worked full time for 8 months, then got laid off. I’ve been working freelance for them ever since, and I’ve now worked for them for more than 3 years. I get along great with my boss.
A couple of weeks ago, the princess started emailing insults about me to senior management on a Saturday morning. My boss called to tell me about it. I was able to track through my files and emails, then send her one back outlining very factually every step I took — with her approval. I resisted the urge to copy senior management back.
On Sunday morning I checked my email, expecting to find another 50 emails detailing every thing I’d missed — or at least another rant. The only thing she’d sent was another email saying she’d taken care of both problems she’d written about earlier.
On Monday morning I asked my boss what he thought of my email to her. He said, “I was ready to nominate you for a position as ambassador to the United Nations, because it was so diplomatic.” It was such a great compliment!
I will just say that while you’re being a good sport, you also have to stand up for yourself. If you do it appropriately and professionally, you can make a good impression and get your work done without getting trampled.
Web design portfolio
September 3rd, 2010 at 5:59 amgreat article. someone once said to me, be positive in all that you do and it will rub off on those around you. it’s very true, if you have a bad attitude, it’ll make those around you act in the same way towards you.
Rubina
September 19th, 2010 at 1:33 amFor getting more freelance jobs a good freelance site is important
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sruthish
October 5th, 2010 at 6:23 amHi
I’m a designer working in a firm, in recent days im completely bugged up and getting bored.
This article increased my confidence little bit.
Thank you
Neal Trude
February 9th, 2012 at 4:38 amSome genuinely wonderful content on this website, appreciate it for contribution. “An alcoholic is someone you don’t like who drinks as much as you do.” by Dylan Thomas.
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