Avoiding difficult client relationships

Challenging clients are much easier to come by than you realize. Conflicts arise when there is a gap in understanding or things much worse. Working through these experiences may result in great tales of woe and stories to talk about in the future, but when you're in the middle of it, it's not much fun (for you or the client.)

In business - contracts/T&Cs, Statements of Work (SOWs), Work Orders (WOs), should include clauses setting key performance parameters (e.g., number of interviews, number of revisions, review/approval durations, acceptance criteria, etc.) These clauses should be standard and, in your agreements, and other contractual / deliverables documentation. The contract itself is only a backup, however, if things go wrong. Ideally, the relationship should never reach the point where either party needs to keep the contract' open on the desk' or near at hand.

As with any other challenging, difficult, or frustrating relationship, we need to think about how we got to this point. In reality, being right or wrong is irrelevant; there's a breakdown in the process requiring attention.

The contracted parties want the job done at an agreed price, timeframe, and quality. It's not the sales, but rather the product/service delivery organization's responsibility to make the process effortless. As contracted/hired experts, we set client expectations at the beginning of a project, and we manage them through its life cycle. In doing so, we'll experience fewer difficult situations and be better prepared to deal with anything that crops up.

Proven processes - don't get caught without one.

There must be a method for managing work and interactions. These processes are often written down and detailed but are flexible & dynamic enough to accommodate varying maturity levels, especially if the client has limited experience with contracted work/project work.

Good contracts don't limit the number of things (like revisions) a client can make but instead, they set thresholds that ensure reasonableness. A collaborative process incorporated into the agreement sets parameters that prevent endless iterations/changes.

Realistically, success comes by having the client engaged at every stage (and throughout the entire life cycle.) By being involved, clients see how the design/development/testing meets their requirements.

Setting expectations

Most client staff want to be involved in the process and want to feel like they've contributed to it somehow. As long as the involvement meets the project objectives, applying them can avert problems with acceptance & adoption. Use the contract / SOW to outline expectations and always walk-the-talk with clients in open exchanges about reciprocal expectations. Be sure to go through the contract with the client before you start. We call this initial stage 'management synchronization.'

Conflict resolution / Issue escalation

Despite processes, you'll still face situations you can't predict. There should be a change clause and an issue escalation one to help avoid a problematic client relationship.

Do a little bit of work upfront and apply some due diligence to reduce a nightmare contract/project risk. We can't assume our clients know everything - they hired us as experts. In all circumstances, we should try to behave like experts. All clients aren't a breeze, but if we have a mechanism for negotiation/arbitration, we can handle anything that might arise. If the client is still difficult, there's no shame in showing ending the relationship and terminating the contract.

Problematic clients may not be worth it.

Be prepared to walk away from a contract or project if it's not going to be a good fit or it risks hurting rather than helping the business. Even if red flags appear at the point of signing the contract, it's never too late to cancel.

If difficulties arise, it's not a war.

One thing's for sure... Leadership has to set the example and avoid creating an 'us vs. them' mentality - clients pay our bills! Never, ever go to war with a client. The repercussions can linger a long time, and it's a battle you'll never win (no matter what the outcome is.) Sometimes things may get tense, but that doesn't mean we're at war.

Don Gleason serves clients in multiple industries and the government sector by improving their current Business-IT processes. He also guides, coaches, advises and leads client staff & service providers in collaborative and cooperative processes - delivering unprecedented and sustainable results. He has a proven track record of turning around sub-optimal situations and equipping organizations with a competitive advantage through business process, technology innovation, and business resilience.

DGCpartners LLC - a small, innovative, veteran-owned, and independent management consulting firm helping clients gain control of situations, costs, and schedules for their most strategic initiatives. We build, drive, and mentor teams in best practices to ensure sustainable change management discipline, business transformation, and program management success.

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To get you started on the right path that uses your team to assure a sustainable transformation & change management - Reach out to me here on LinkedIn, Twitter, or through DGCpartners. Visit our website for more information: https://DGCpartners.com.

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