How many people are there on the earth right now? Including astronauts, technically not on the earth at the moment? Whatever that number is, subtract 1 from it. What remains is the number of different opinions (other than your own) that exist on how best to handle any situation that could ever exist. Empathize with other people's perspectives, then project how they might resolve any given situation and less how you would resolve it because ...we're all different. I never understood how this fundamental concept is always completely missed with every question.

Re: Are people being too hard on Kathleen Kennedy for Star Wars?
 

Abed?

Yep that's true, I was just trying to get into Iger's head and trying to see his way of thinking more. But I digress, it's his way of dealing with things, if it's true that Kennedy chose to run with a show that was never suppose to exist.

However, as for Kennedy, there are also rumors that she keeps letting directors go because of creative differences. Is this true do you think, or is there more to it than that maybe?

Re: Are people being too hard on Kathleen Kennedy for Star Wars?
 

@ironpony you sound like someone who's never worked in a position of leadership with subordinates under you and more superiors above you while trying to deal with customers and clients complaining and making assumptions and threats.

Re: Are people being too hard on Kathleen Kennedy for Star Wars?
 

Oh okay well I have had to lead departments before, but never been in a position of really extreme power though.

Congradulations. You still sound like someone who has never had to lead a department before.

Re: Are people being too hard on Kathleen Kennedy for Star Wars?
 

Okay so what is it that I am missing?

I see things like this happen all the time, in any industry. Questions like, "Does he really have to make the show?" Are not simple yes or no questions. When someone says they were forced to make the show, that's only true from a certain point of view. Everyone always has a choice, but these things merely hint at things beneath the surface like the tip of an iceberg. What's the point of even speculating about it?

The way I look at it, any number of things could have been going on. Maybe there were discussions about having a show, maybe she just wanted to make the show, and then by saying it there was pressure on the company to produce it. When people like Bob Iger make these decisions they are thinking about market shares and getting pressure from investors. Maybe when you were in charge of a department, @ironpony, these kinds of things never occurred to you? I don't know, but why don't you seem to understand the complexities that happen behind the scenes?

Re: Are people being too hard on Kathleen Kennedy for Star Wars?
 

Well when I was in charge of a department, no one tried to blackmail or manipulate me into producing a product I didn't want, so I never had to deal with that. I don't feel that all producers and filmmakers would react this way though.

For example, if someone in Hollywood told the media that say... Martin Scorese was going to produce and direct a new Flash Gordon movie, and the media ran the story, I don't think Martin would feel pressured enough to do it. I think he would say "hell no, whoever told you that was crazy!"

That's just an example, but I feel that a lot people in charge in higher power, would want to deflect false rumors rather than bend over to possible pressure. But maybe I'm wrong?

I have to seriously question your experience if you can't think of anything like this. Especially as a leader of anything. I don't mean literally as a film producer. I mean life, in general. Say as lead of some team you have a task for completing some goal within some limited amount of time and/or budget. You create some reasonable timeline with your supervisor and/or client to accomplish that task. Maybe it's developing an online application. Maybe it's organizing a display within the local clothing store. Maybe it's a college group assignment for a speech class. Maybe it's mowing a yard while your friend rakes leaves. What the task is, is irrelevant. The point is that you are in some position to help direct that development.


At some point, someone in the group side-steps your lead and goes directly to your client/boss/teacher/whatever and proposes their idea of something that may or may not have been presented to the group for discussion. Maybe they do that to undermine your leadership role. Maybe they just think it's a great idea and want to get ahead by getting the attention of higher-ups. Maybe they're clueless to the structures of office politics. Whatever. They do it, and your boss/teacher/supervisor/santa takes notice.


What then do you do? IF you wish to maintain some semblance of control you might just suck it up and claim that yes, it was in fact your idea or that you approved your subordinate to take the initiative and propose it; else you risk looking a fool when someone else has a better idea than you or that the other person does not respect you enough to go through the proper chain of command. Or any other of a few thousand reasons to save face or dismiss something altogether.


This is basic human interaction. Grade-schoolers pull the crap on each other. Teacher's pets. Know-it-alls. Whatever. You don't have to be a studio producer to relate to how this could play out. People do human things to each other in every corner of life. This doesn't have to be hard line blackmail or manipulation. It's just how people are.


Likely Scorsese would NOT just direct a new Flash Gordon. The question isn't that, though (which is completely arbitrary and extreme, relative to what is already a rumor-based discussion to begin with!). The question is can you IMAGINE a possibility where he might still direct it, even though YOU personally may not agree? Because, again, people do differently than how Ironpony predicts people doing things. Which is the heart of every. question. you. ever. ask. To your last line specifically, "But I feel that a lot of people in charge ... would want to..." What you feel is completely irrelevant to the topic. It is what Iger wanted/needed/dismissed/didn't care to bother with at all/whatever. And HIS decision is based in a countless number of variables that neither of us have access to to even begin to relate to. But you can still empathize with what SOMEONE might have to deal with, given what you do know, and given your own real world experiences provide in dealing with the dynamics of other human beings.


Or not.

You completely missed the point.

Also,

What ynwtf said.

Oh okay, well if I were in that position and a person working under went to a person working over with me and the group with a new idea, and didn't talk to us first, I would just tell the higher ups, that that person did not bring the idea to me or the group for discussion first, and that I can deal with that person as a result. I would do this after I found out, so this person could not try doing anything else sneaky like that in the future.

That is also assuming that I don't even know what that person's idea was. In this case, the higher ups didn't know what Kennedy's idea for a new show was. So to compare, if I didn't even know what the person's idea was and they rant over my head with it, I would have to report it, because I could not go along with an idea, if I don't know what it is. That is just how I would handle it.

Re: Are people being too hard on Kathleen Kennedy for Star Wars?
 

Pretty sure that would never happen is such a neat vacuum.


*edit because of edits*
But you're not in his position to know what he....ugh. nevermind. Have fun.

Imagine being ironpony's employee at their department, and trying to talk sense into them about how to deal with a given situation with any individualistic sensitivity.

That's it, I quit!

Re: Are people being too hard on Kathleen Kennedy for Star Wars?
 

Or being their supervisor... That's it, you're fired!

Re: Are people being too hard on Kathleen Kennedy for Star Wars?
 

You are saying I would fire Kathleen Kennedy if I was her supervisor, when you say 'her'?

Re: Are people being too hard on Kathleen Kennedy for Star Wars?
 

Or sorry, I should have used gender neutral pronouns since I don't know your gender.

Re: Are people being too hard on Kathleen Kennedy for Star Wars?
 

Oh so I am a guy. I misunderstood.

So are you saying that if I went to my superiors and said one of the people working under me ran an idea by you I heard, and they did this without consulting me or the group, that I would be fired for telling the superior that?

Lol, no, I'm saying if you were my superior I would quit because it's too frustrating trying to help you understand anything, case in point.

Oh okay, I was just going by what you said when you said:

So I thought you were talking about firing.

But in this case, if Bog Iger went to his superior, and said that one of the people who works under him lied to the media about a TV show being made when there wasn't, it's not like Bog's supervisor is going to quit or anything over him telling him, would they?