Compensating talent

Would you speak at this conference?" a friend whose business is organizing conferences asked.

"Are they paying?" I countered, bothered that certain sectors pay foreign speakers top money but simply say "thank you" to Filipino speakers. This situation needs to change.

"Five thousand pesos," she said apologetically. "It’s a pittance but that’s all they’re budgeted for. Please take it." I agreed only because I liked the lady who asked.

Closer to the day, the chairwoman of the conference called. This is not the lady who originally asked me. This one says, "The organizers made a mistake. We never offered money but we will give you gifts – a watch and gift certificates. The other speakers have agreed. I hope you will agree too," she said.

"No, I won’t. You’re violating a principle here," I said. "I agreed to speak for money. You cannot change the terms midstream."

"But it was a mistake," she said. "I know we pay foreign speakers and should pay local speakers as well. I’ll set up a speakers bureau in the future. I can make it happen. Only I can do it successfully."

"People have tried to set up speakers bureaus here before and failed because people like you won’t pay for speakers. Where’ s this claim – only you can succeed – coming from? We agreed on a sum. This speech requires work..."

"I’m assigning someone from our organization to co-write with you... " she said, adding insult to injury. If you intend to assign an amateur to co-write or co-anything with a professional, you better discuss this way ahead of time because it insults the professional. But if this woman could be unethical, why should I expect her to be socially or professionally sensitive? I decided I just wanted out but first I had to make her listen. She seemed enchanted with her notions and her words.

"Let me make you an offer," I said, when she paused to breathe. "I’ll accept your terms but I’ll write about you in my column, naming you and the organization."

She was taken aback. "Ha? I don’t think that would look good," she said.

"If you know it won’t look good, then maybe you shouldn’t do it, don’t you think?" I said, trying for a philosophy lesson that predictably failed. However, she saw clearly that she would not look good – even if I represented facts accurately – so she let me off the hook.

The conference has been over a while but the issue lingers in the air: How do we compensate Filipino talent? I do not refer to celebrity endorsers like Aga and Sharon. Talent like that we compensate well. I refer to scientists, artists, professional experts, speakers, talents who are paid top dollar elsewhere but not in their own countries. I’ll bet you a person like former President Fidel Ramos is paid top dollar for addressing an international conference but when he speaks before a Philippine audience he is not compensated. They don’t offer him money. If he asked – and he should ask – he would be criticized. This brings us to the other half of the problem. Too many of us are willing to do things for free. What stops us from demanding just compensation? Fear of gossip? Low self-esteem? Desire to win a popularity contest?

I looked up "compensation." It has two meanings. The first is "to make up for; offset, counterbalance." The second is "to make payment to; to reimburse"...what? Reimbursements imply something previously advanced. Well, reimburse or pay back talent advanced presumably on your behalf. The word "compensation" comes from the Latin compensare, which means "to weigh together." I imagine a man weighing talent in one hand and gold coins in the other, trying to arrive at the proper balance. When they weigh the same, the compensation is adequate.

I looked up "talent." It had four meanings. First, "natural or acquired ability;" second, "natural endowment or ability of superior quality." Third, "a person with such ability", and fourth, "any of various ancient units of weight and money." The word "talent" comes from the Greek word talanton, which means "a unit of money." Now we see that the link between talent and compensation is stronger than originally perceived. Compensation – being worth your weight/talent in gold – is part of the etymology of the word "talent." Since time immemorial, you might safely say, talent has been considered a source of money. Experience is considered acquired ability and it thickens and strengthens talent. Thus former Presidents are paid for speaking. Bill Clinton, they say, will speak for $200,000 plus other expenses.

If Filipino speakers suddenly demanded compensation, then the first casualty would be the Rotary clubs. It’s probably time to change their programs anyway. They would still get the people in government who rightfully think that socio-civic clubs are a good channel for disseminating information and maybe a good source of votes. Otherwise, let me tell you that Rotary should pay their speakers for the effort it takes to perform at the lectern while watching Rotarians take their siestas.

Let’s start at conferences or seminars that charge admission or conference fees. They should budget for speakers because they generate revenues from you. If you don’t need the money, donate to charity but take the first step towards receiving compensation for your talent. If we don’t begin by being firm now, it will never happen. Instead of creating a culture of excellence, we will perpetuate this culture of freeloading and devaluing talent.

Next time your telephone rings and someone asks, "Would you speak at this conference?" insist on speakers’ fees and don’t budge until they pay in advance. It’s a small first step but it’s a beginning.