Scope Creep

None of us is without this consulting sin.

Admit it, we’ve all done it. You’ve been guarding the scope of your project with an iron fist. Another requirement? Extend the timeline then. Another report? More money. No? Then we’re not going to do it right now.

But there comes a time when the client, battered after banging their heads against the immovable object that is you, asks for just one more request. And you come to your senses.

I don’t really agree with anyone who says business isn’t personal. How I feel is actually eloquently stated in one of my favorite shows - “Business is always personal. It's the most personal thing in the world,” and “People, Ryan… people will never go out of business.”

Michael Scott. The Office.

I do feel like I agreed to more requests than I “should have” just to win some brownie points. But these seemingly transactional give-and-takes can make a difference between being a consultant and being a trusted partner. And some of these relationships have lasted even after I left.

Sometimes you just need to throw your clients a bone. Just don’t throw your team under the bus with it.

Ramen