How do you juggle client demands?

Whilst we all believe we are rational beings, in my experience it’s the underlying emotions that matter a lot more. When considering your customers requests, try to find the underlying emotional reason. Ask questions that help you understand these true feelings. It will help you align your promises to what they truly need. Not just what they say they want.

Clients' needs are priorities! Having to adjust your calendars is often something we all do. They after all are paying for your time and services.

The number one killer of achievement with many of my clients is procrastinating. But unlike what is mentioned above I do not think “a good system” is enough. In my experience Procrastinating is a defense against either anxieties caused by boredom, or by a fear of failure. If you can’t find the true cause of that anxiety and deal with it, you will relapse no matter how good your system is.

It is important you learn to say no. Not just for yourself but also the well-being of your team. If you have earned the expertise of your business, you should be able to convey this constructively and firmly when defending your team from unreasonable demands from clients.

Underpromise overdeliver helps here. It’s amazing how many deadlines urgencies are self inflicted because you estimated too tight at the start!

Absolutely, I think the wisdom that comes with experience helps your overall growth. One caution though, is to avoid the trap of a cookie cutter approach, it is easy to get complacent with your experience and past success, but the solutions that may have worked in the past, may not necessarily solve problems of the future. One personal example for me is about an approach that worked in the remote world of work during the pandemic hasn't worked in the post pandemic hybrid working environment. I think HR Consultants need to stay humble and be ready to learn. Curiosity is the most important quality of a Consultant......Curiosity may have killed the Cat, but it certainly has helped Consultant to be more 'Skilled' !

My view is that the more you delegate with the aim to train your team the less stress you have in the future. Take any opportunity to let your team make the calls where you can. If you feel you can’t trust a team member with a decision, you need to consider training. If they can’t be trained, you need to consider your hiring practices!

Managing multiple clients sometimes feels like running a treadmill. There is a lot of action, sweat, effort yet you are standing at the same place exhausted and tired. Here are a few ways one can effectively juggle and manage multiple clients 1. Set clear expectation and SLAs for various processes and initiatives 2.Delegation is a win- win strategy. Empower your team to take ownership of various tasks so that you can spend quality time designing strategic outcomes for your client 3. Do not give unrealistic deadlines 4 Always Under promise and over deliver 5 Use collaborative tools to manage your calendar and tasks effectively. 6 Continuously review and update your team and client on the process and outcome.