there’s often a distinct difference between someone who’s chosen to hold his/her ground because s/he believes something to be right and someone who’s quickly on the defensive. inherently, we know this. in the heat of a battle — friendly or otherwise — we sometimes forget it. we react on tone alone. most consumers would appreciate a producer to hold their ground on something they can also appreciate — that’s why s/he is the professional, why the consumer hired him/her and how s/he can benefit most from the relationship. we should want the most energy and insight we can get.
holding ground often implies that there’s something of value being protected. passion and integrity are two positive reasons to remain patient. consumers want those things. defensive behavior is usually a sign of weakness. insecurity. lack of experience. the producer could be defensive for no real reason. maybe that’s just his/her constitution. it could be that neither side has invested any time into the other prior to collaboration. it could be s/he can’t communicate well enough to defend work productively. investigate the place from which the behavior may be stemming. it’s also perfectly acceptable to say that time is too limited and that it’s not a good enough natural fit to capitalize on obstacles the consumer needs to navigate.
the bottom line? the best producers won’t easily resort to pushing back. they should be comfortable with critiques and things not going perfectly all the time. they have good systems and instincts for navigating issues that arise during any work process.
