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As I opened the email from a previous client who had recently terminated the work relationship, I saw the words "I would like to take you to small claims court". My heart sank to my feet and I felt the flush of panic rush through my body. (I am not the person who thinks about taking anyone to court and I definitely don't put myself in the position for others to take me to court.)
This client had been a referral from a current client. I had felt a sense of "obligation" to at least try to make it work because "I felt this" way, not because my current client expected it. The ex-client had a very strong personality, had a "just get it done" attitude, and our initial meeting was very rushed. This mix was not a good combination for my style of work. As the ex-client expressed the expectations, they skimmed the surface of what their real expectation was. What I heard and understood, obviously did not match this ex-client's expectations. More importantly, as the ex-client was describing their expectations I was trying to "fit them into" my focus.
Focus, the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition (Google search definition). I had been working on creating this "clear visual definition" and was convinced it was "clear", however, in a moment my lens had become blurred. How many times in business do we know the direction of our path but somehow end up taking the "scenic route"? It might be a colleague who needs a favor, it might be a business owner who has a great idea, or it might be yourself not wanting to let someone down. Regardless of which scenic route we take, what is important is to learn from these journeys.
As they say "in hindsight".... Well, let's see what can be learn from this situation:
Questions for you:
1. What is your focus?
2. Are you able to articulate your focus?
3. Have you identified "road blocks" and how to remove them from staying focused?
4. What are you waiting for to move into the direction of your focus?
This client had been a referral from a current client. I had felt a sense of "obligation" to at least try to make it work because "I felt this" way, not because my current client expected it. The ex-client had a very strong personality, had a "just get it done" attitude, and our initial meeting was very rushed. This mix was not a good combination for my style of work. As the ex-client expressed the expectations, they skimmed the surface of what their real expectation was. What I heard and understood, obviously did not match this ex-client's expectations. More importantly, as the ex-client was describing their expectations I was trying to "fit them into" my focus.
Focus, the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition (Google search definition). I had been working on creating this "clear visual definition" and was convinced it was "clear", however, in a moment my lens had become blurred. How many times in business do we know the direction of our path but somehow end up taking the "scenic route"? It might be a colleague who needs a favor, it might be a business owner who has a great idea, or it might be yourself not wanting to let someone down. Regardless of which scenic route we take, what is important is to learn from these journeys.
As they say "in hindsight".... Well, let's see what can be learn from this situation:
- Take 24 hours: When ever I have given advice about working with a client or virtual assistant, I have always said "Make sure your personalities are a good fit." (funny how we don't take our own words of wisdom!) With this client, our personalities were complete opposites. I knew this would not be a good match, however, I still proceeded to continue with this client. If I had listened and learned of what was expected AND said, "please allow me 24 hours to review the scope of the project" the final email I received would not have been sent.
- Ask Questions: When I met with the client the expectations were vague, the conversation was rushed and the ultimate outcome was not expressed. The scope of work that I had written on my contract was as equally vague as our discussion. I had allowed this client to gain control of the meeting and I didn't ask the "right" questions. Sometimes we don't know what the "right" questions are until after a situation like this. However, even before this situation, I needed to have asked "enough" questions until I had a full understanding of this client's expectations and it could have been articulated in writing.
- Listen to your Intuition: We've all had those feelings "something doesn't feel" right. Well... we need to know those feelings aren't just there to have them but rather listen and respond to them. Your intuition is there to give you pause for the situation you are in. In our fast paced world, it's easy to miss the signs our body and mind are telling us. However, there is great value in slowing down and tuning in to really hear.
- Keep your Focus: Now we come to the big "red flag"... Focus. Within the week of meeting this client I had determined my focus for the year. My focus was clear, I had created a vision board to help me stay focused, and I had acknowledged that I would need to say "no" to projects that weren't within my focus. With this project, there was nothing that related to my focus. This was a "no-brainer"! So what happened? Why did I say yes? Why would I have said yes? I didn't have a good answer. But now after reading "small claims court", I wished I would have been focused on my goal for the year. If we have spent the time to determine our focus, why not honor it with keeping it? Focus helps to keep "on track", allows us to reach milestones, and gives us a sense of accomplishment when we've reached our destination.
Questions for you:
1. What is your focus?
2. Are you able to articulate your focus?
3. Have you identified "road blocks" and how to remove them from staying focused?
4. What are you waiting for to move into the direction of your focus?
