When the Project Isn’t Perfect: How to Prevent Client Misunderstandings

As an instructional designer at Big Corporation, Jessica enjoys her work and interacts successfully with many internal clients. However, she recently experienced a disagreement with Joe, Director of Quality Assurance at Big Corporation. While Jessica originally hoped to rectify the misunderstanding, it has continued. Because of this, Joe has become frustrated with the training team, and is starting to grumble about them to his colleagues.

The trouble began when, on May 28, Jessica submitted an agreed-upon deliverable, a design document for a training curriculum to help improve the accuracy of the quality control department. Joe believed the deliverable was incomplete.

To complete the design document, Jessica needed the input from several employees, including line supervisors. When Jessica and Joe first discussed the work, however, Jessica didn’t mention needing to speak with the line supervisors, figuring she could discuss the participation of these employees later.

This turned out to be a significant mistake. Jessica was unable to secure time with the employees, who were too busy to speak with her and uninformed about the project. Joe didn’t know that the substance of her design document could not be delivered without the crucial input of his team. How could such a mistake be avoided in the future?

To determine this, we relied on our own experience at EnVision as well as Peter Block’s Flawless Consulting, a valuable resource for all consultants—internal and external. There are several strategies Block advises for achieving success in consulting projects, and they should be implemented even before starting work on your project, during the contracting phase.

1. Speak and behave authentically and honestly with the client from the very outset. “Authentically” is a word used by Block, though an interchangeable term would be “candidly.” Be frank about what you need to achieve the project goals, address questions and concerns, offer your opinions of your assignment, get everything on the table. “You should be able to…elicit the client’s expectations of you; clearly and simply state what you want from the client…It is always necessary to talk about control, vulnerability, your wants, and chances of success,” writes Block. The author also encourages difficult conversations with the client, as it will lead to greater trust in the relationship.
2. Obtain permission to speak with employees and to access company information. It is important to give context to the client when you ask for this. Explain what you need, why it is important for the work you are doing, and what the impact will be if you don’t secure this information. It is also helpful to specify which employees will be involved, and clarify the amount of time required of them. If Jessica had been frank about the interviews she needed, Joe would have better understood her process and approach, and her work would have met Joe’s expectations.
3. Define the boundaries of your work, including which responsibilities will be handled by you and which by the client or others, says Block. What is the scope of the work? This question will be answered in the contracting phase and can be repeated in the design document, which may include a list of any out-of-scope work. This document also typically contains a roles and responsibilities section, so all project team members understand what their work will entail. In the case of Jessica and Joe, they hadn’t discussed Jessica’s role interviewing employees or the employees’ involvement in the project.
4. Determine together what the deliverable(s) will look like. In the contracting phase, work with the client to define deliverables such as a produced elearning course, storyboards, participant materials, job aids, and/or instructor guides. Agree on the level of detail – will the instructor guide include a word-for-word script for the instructor, or just key points? Will storyboards be prepared in PowerPoint or Word? It is crucial to include these details when contracting; it may be more difficult to change them later. In the case of Jessica and Joe, they were quick to disagree because they didn’t agree on what the design document would include.
5. Agree on completion dates, reviews, and other milestones. There may be factors driving the completion dates, and Joe and Jessica must discuss these and include them in the project plan. When Jessica initially discussed the work with Joe, she failed to include employee interviews (a milestone) and review sessions in the schedule. A detailed project plan will include who the reviewers are and the time they need for their work.

While any consulting work has the potential for misunderstandings, these can be minimized by a candid conversation with the client before you begin work. Follow these steps, and you’ll be well on your way to positioning yourself for success!