Creatives be like: “I’m on this for way too long to give up now” (1b)

This article is the second part of a four-part double series about my take on what happens in our heads when we, as professionals in the creative field, or as clients, can’t seem to work in a project’s best interest. In each one of these articles, I’ll be exploring a train of thought that I think we all had at some point in our heads when working together. I’ll be following them with tips on how to overcome our thoughts and feelings and make sure both sides are rowing smoothly in the same direction.

1 — Creatives be like:
a) “Well, now I’m on this boat”
b) “I’m on this for way too long to give up now”
c) “I don’t want to fail the client” — SOON —
d) “I thought I was a good enough designer” — SOON —

2 — Clients be like:
a) “I actually prefer our old logo” — SOON —
b) “I don’t feel it…” — SOON —
c) “Our customers won’t like it” — SOON —
d) “I don’t think you really understand our values or what we do” — SOON —

b) “I’m on this for way too long to give up now”

This is the feeling that emerges later in a project. The red flags have been waved many times before but since we ignored them until now, it doesn’t seem fair to “make waves” now, this late in the project. We look back, see the crazy amount of work that has been done, and we continue rowing because we already went through a lot and can’t handle or afford to throw out the towel now. We feel like we need to, at least, take something good out of this situation, so we continue pushing forward until the end. No matter what.

What can we do about it?

As I said at the beginning of the “Well, now I’m on this boat” topic, it will be harder to reset the dynamic now and set a new tone for the future, but that shouldn’t abide you from trying. It’s a bit more delicate, maybe it will surprise your client and you should be ready to accept the possibility of the project ending before its time.

A lot of the tactics that I proposed before are also suitable for this situation, but they are focused on setting the tone of your relationship with clients. What we need to do before that, it’s knowing how to reset the bad practices used until now.

The first thing that I recommend you do is analyze your current situation with your client. Divide a piece of paper in two and gather your thoughts. On one side, write what you think your client has been doing wrong, and on the other, write what you think you have been doing wrong, but don’t make this a guilt trip or a complaint list. Be professional, objective, and more than anything, be compassionate. I know that going through an extensive project with continuous unmet expectations is tough, but the wrongs that have been made, on both sides, probably didn’t come from a bad place. Often, is just not knowing how to do best and we need to be compassionate enough to accept that possibility, either to the client or to ourselves.

After venting in your piece of paper, put things into short topis. The lesser, the better. Not because you’re going to present them to the client, but because you’ll need to remember them by heart.

Now, just as important, gather all the data that you have on the project that reflects the impact of this dynamic. Failed deadlines, work that has been sent behind, necessary information that hadn’t been shared, and so on. Condense the information on topics and only bring to the table the ones with a bigger impact on the project. You can bring this piece of paper with you since the content in it isn’t personal to the client.

It’s time to ask the client for a meeting and prepare them beforehand for something serious that you want to talk about with them. Do you know the famous “Hey, we need to talk…”? Well, you’ll need to say something similar. Just don’t make it sound like it’s something fatal, that someone has died or is about to die.

In the meeting, start by acknowledging that this might come as a surprise to them and that you didn’t want to catch anyone unexpectedly. This will help your client to cope with the fact that they are, in fact, being surprised by a hard topic. Explain that you have been thinking about how things aren’t developing the best way and state the facts. What hasn’t been working on the success of the project? Make sure they understand you want to work things out, do everything in your power to finish this project successfully, and give them something that they would be proud to have. Recognize how you have your fair share on how things are rolling out and that you’re completely willing to talk about it as well, but ask them to share their own view on the matter first. Why are things happening this way?

Please, don’t be confrontational and leave your weapons at the door. Allow a healthy conversation to happen and keep asking the “whys”, to the client and to yourself. Take notes, explain that you are taking notes to see how you can find ways to make things better and make the client feel like this is a brainstorming session, rather than a trial. If you see the client having a hard time having answers, you can start the conversation by sharing with them how you should have acted differently. If that doesn’t work out, ask if they need a little time to think and offer to step out of the room.

If even that doesn’t do it… maybe your client really doesn’t do well under pressure, or maybe they’re not really willing to talk about this and fight for the relationship, but let’s not be the ones assuming this. Ask to reschedule the meeting, allow them to have some time to themselves, and if they talk, great! If not, start thinking about the possibility of this relationship coming to an end, and, if that’s the inevitable future, let them be the ones throwing the towel. Keep some leverage to yourself.

Now that everything is on the table, you can propose strategies on how to make this relationship better. Of course, it will be hard to trace new strategies right away, but don’t forget that you already have at least the two I presented on the “Well, now I’m on this boat” topic. Your top 5 to 8 keys to a great relationship are something that you can say that you worked on the week before and would like to present and review with them now. The Check-In Moments is another tool, something that you can propose to adopt from now on to avoid having any other bumps on the road. If you’re able to trace any other strategy at the meeting and you’re confident that they would be appropriate, share it with the client and ask what they think. If you can’t, tell them you’ll get back to them in the next two or three days, preferably through a call or meeting so you can share and propose your strategies on how to work together from now on. Encourage the client to do the same thing.

Either way, you should always email after a meeting, and in this kind of delicate situation, it’s even more important. Write the topics that have been discussed, and decisions that have been taken, and send them to the client shortly after the meeting. This way, you and your client can agree on what has been said and the email will be something that you can later search and refer back to if necessary.

Last but not the least, the strategies that you might trace from this experience are always worth keeping. Make them universal, open enough to apply to any kind of client, and keep them in your “deck” of strategies on how to have a great relationship with a client.

Thank you so much for reading!

Hopefully, you, as a creative professional offering a service, find this to be relatable. Not that I want you to feel any of this, but it means I’m reading this situation well. Before jumping to the next train of thought, please share this with your friends and colleagues that you think might appreciate it and applaud it if you think there’s some value here for you. Feel free to give your feedback, and stay well. :)

Be happy!

Catch the next train (of thought):

c) “I don’t want to fail the client”