The Delicate Dance: Unraveling the Pitfalls of Neglected Client-Consultant Relationships

All relationships matter. At Docent, we focus on one of the most crucial relationships - between clients and consultants. When managed well, this partnership can yield remarkable results, but all too often, these relationships are rarely given the attention they deserve.....with a lot of time and money on the line.

The Conundrum of Neglect

Imagine commissioning an exquisite painting from an artist, providing only a vague description of your vision, and then rarely checking in until the masterpiece is unveiled. The same principle applies to client-consultant relationships. Neglecting the nuances of these partnerships can lead to issues that compromise the essence of the collaboration people say they want.

1. Misaligned Expectations

One of the primary consequences is the misalignment of expectations. The initial scope of work might have been well-defined, but as time passes and circumstances change, expectations can diverge. Without proper communication and regular updates, clients might develop expectations that consultants are challenged to meet, leading to frustration, daunting and immediate deadlines and expensive out of scope projects.  Read; everybody is unhappy.

2. Deteriorating Trust

While expertise and insight is important, trust is the foundation upon which successful relationships are built. When communication falters, the sense that promises are not kept, or those unexpected 'out of scope' invoices can erode trust over time.  The quote: "Death by a thousand cuts" might apply here.  

3. Unmet Goals and Objectives

Making assumptions about your relationships often results in projects straying from their intended path. As expectations shift and communication diminishes, projects can lose their sense of purpose. Unknowingly, consultants may veer off track, focusing on less relevant tasks, while clients might feel disconnected from the project's evolution. This can lead to a poorly executed and wasted strategy meeting or, more visibly and painful, missed goals and objectives, leaving both parties dissatisfied.

4. Escalating Conflicts

Loosely managed relationships can be fertile ground for conflicts to take root. Misunderstanding can escalate into disputes, eroding open communication and diverting valuable time and resources away from the project's core objectives. These conflicts can be emotionally charged, developing into defensive scoping discussions which may lead to irreparable damage to the working relationship.

Why Do Few Do It Well?

Despite the evident importance of effectively managing these relationships, this facet of business is often overlooked. Several factors contribute to this oversight:

1. The Illusion of Autonomy

Many clients and consultants mistakenly believe that once the contract is signed, the work can proceed almost independently. This illusion of autonomy can lead to a lack of proactive communication and updates, fostering an environment where disconnects are discovered only when they become critical.

2. Short-Term Mindset

The 'tyranny of the urgent' creates a short-term mindset.  Short-term objectives often take precedence over long-term strategy or connection to the business.   Clients may focus on meeting immediate project goals and tasks.  The consultant mirrors that focus rather than keeping the current in context with what is important in the longer term. 

3. Communication Challenges

A similar risk arises when communication is limited.  With everyone running from one 'virtual' meeting to another, check-in meetings narrow their focus on ‘this week’s activities.’ When key clients aren't consistently available, a default to 'task' vs. 'purpose' orientation takes over.  Overall organizational context is lost in simply getting stuff done as those larger, important discussions get pushed - 'we can meet about that next month' - which may never happen.  This can result in misunderstandings that cascade into larger issues over time.

What Do We Do?

You are trusted with a significant investment of time, money, and employee impact.  The issues stemming from neglecting these relationships are diverse and far-reaching, impacting project outcomes, trust, and overall business success.  However, the opportunity to avoid distractions and unleash value in your relationship has never been more apparent.  

Clients want to efficiently achieve more.  Consultants want to further assist clients.  But you can’t get there unless you counteract these challenges through a good contractual foundation, open communication, maintaining clear expectations, and fostering an environment of trust and collaboration. 

When was the last time you reviewed, at the very least, the following against what should be 'norms'?

1. Your contract – does it reflect current state?

2. 'Operating Model' of your working relationship – how do you intentionally interact?

3. Roles/responsibilities of key team members – and who is available for what reasons?

4. The planned approach to how you and your consultant will navigate together when something goes wrong?  (And something will eventually go wrong.)  

Call or email to talk about how to evaluate where you are and how to unleash the value of your relationships.