Tantrum on the fundraising trail

Around the age of six, every child experiences the same light bulb moment to get what he or she wants: if Mom tells you no, simple…just go behind her back and ask Dad. So simple, it’s genius. A foolproof plan only exposed when the child learns that Mom and Dad tend to talk. Whoops.

Most of us quickly learn this lesson and move on well before we enter our adult professional life, but it appears some fund professionals need a reminder.

“I was very polite when I told him no. And he just totally went above my head, asking to get a ‘yes’ from someone else in my organization. Unbelievable.”

Those are the words of an investment director at a major US pension fund describing his experiences with a GP who played the ingenious “ask Dad instead” strategy when denied a fund commitment. For anyone seething in anticipation over the possibility that the plan worked, try to remember the last time you got a snack before dinner by ignoring one parent’s wishes. Not a chance, we hope.