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An author recently wrote that, according to one of his correspondents, his major failing is his inability to think low. He invariably assumes that people believe what they advocate. In the real world (the correspondent went on) people advance ideas they do not believe for a whole host of reasons--political, monetary, personal, etc. I?ve noticed much the same in my own experience ;-)
As a consultant I routinely meet clients that ?think low.? Low-thinkers consist of two types: 1) Cynical--he or she knows perfectly well what?s required to produce professional product but fail to budget adequate resources; 2) Moron-- doesn?t know what he wants or needs, and is clueless as to how to achieve professional product.
Putting aside for another time those infinitely wise clients that understand what we do and esteem it, how do you make a low-thinker happy? Making the client happy is the name of the game, right?
I?ve had many happy clients; some unhappy ones; and a few down right miserable ones. That old chestnut is right: we DO learn from our mistakes. After all, being professional means failing, then getting up and going back at it. Amateurs let failure stop them.
IMHO, the biggest mistake a consultant can make (putting aside deadline/schedule issues which is a HUGE topic, one fit for many threads of its own) is putting her own goals ahead of the client?s. Haven?t we all seen consultants armed with project management, document management, CASE tool, and whatever-is-hot-at-the-moment buzzwords when all the client wants is a little, itsy-bitsy online help system for their internal email, or some-such?
Many of my happier clients have receded into dim memory. But, you know what? I still think about that client, the one with the 2000+ page user?s guide written entirely in Normal style with MS Word because styles and templates were too complicated, too highbrow who came to me for help, and how I stuck my nose in the air. You should have heard the jokes, my snide comments! What a wit! That client was none too happy with me, the big CONSULTANT, when I left.
