It Wasn’t “Garbage” To Her

A web designer colleague of mine recently told me of a conversation he had with a person calling herself a “virtual assistant” about hiring her to do some clerical work such as filing, filling out online applications and subscribing to sites. She said she charges $45 per hour. He responded that she charges too much for this kind of “garbage work.”

She took offense to the work being called garbage. As a result, he asked me about it.

I’ve known this guy for years, so I know that he defines garbage as mindless grunt work. She clearly defined garbage to mean “trash” and “unwanted or useless material,” which is how my dictionary defines it. Since he considered the work garbage, she reasoned, then he must not value her.

They communicated on different wavelengths. Business doesn’t get done when that happens.

My colleague apologized, but there’s still a lesson here: Know the words you’re using or face this sort of problem.

Thanks to Warren for the story.

Until next time! Use the right words!

leebarnathan.com