You are smart. You are creative. You are committed. And you have an awesome grasp of social media. Of course you do, you are a mover and a shaker trying to stay relevant, make some magic, and differentiate yourself from the competition.

You are also going slightly insane.

Why? Because your clients routinely make insane demands on you, expecting miracles with very little notice. Part of you actually enjoys this phenomenon, given your fascination for big challenges and the ever-present potential to become heroic.

Another part of you does not enjoy this phenomenon, often feeling like the deck is stacked against you.

And guess what? It is -- not just because your client is constantly disregarding the fact that you have a life outside the workplace, but because this kind of client-driven behavior, unfortunately, has become the norm these days.

Is there as way out of this madness? Yes there is. And it has everything to do with how you manage your clients. True, there is no formula or algorithm for how to do this, but it can be done. Yes, it can -- all modulated through your own particular style and your client's personality.

For starters, here are ten simple guidelines. Pick one and begin.

TEN SIMPLE WAYS TO BETTER MANAGE YOUR CLIENTS

1. Help your client translate their over-the-top request into a question that begins with the words "How can we?" The effort to frame a pressing challenge in the form of a "How can we?" question will open up the conversation, reveal hidden challenges for the two of you consider, and cut to the chase in an elegant, time-efficient way.

2. Get your client to describe their vision of success. The clearer your clients are about what their "hoped for outcomes" are, the more you will understand what's really required to get results.

3. Establish clear agreements and protocols at the beginning of the relationship. Let your clients know what you can do and what you can't do -- what you will do and what you won't. There will likely be a little voice in your head wondering if this will "fly" with the client. Relax. It will. In fact your client will respect you more for clarifying your boundaries.

4. When asked for a super-quick turnaround of a project, let your client know what you are able to deliver and what you are not able to deliver in the time frame requested. Let he/she know what the trade-offs are. Once your client becomes knowledgeable about the downsides of such a quick turnaround, he/she will be more likely to extend the deadline.

5. Speak the truth. If you know a particular request is impossible to fulfill in the time allotted, say so -- and offer an alternative fall back date. Even an extra day or two on a project can make all the difference in the world.

6. Be sure to ask "by when" your client needs the deliverable. Poke at the so-called deadline. Often, a client's request "by yesterday" means "a week from now," or "by Thursday", not "tomorrow." Don't assume your client's anxiety or lack of planning means you have to work all weekend.

7. Ask your client for the names and contact numbers of key people on their team (or in their company) -- resources you can contact on a moment's notice, especially when your client is unavailable.

8. Practice "reflective listening" -- sometimes known as "checking for understanding." This is simple to do. For example, if your client makes a request of you at 4:59 pm on Friday (or any time, for that matter), restate your understanding of the request, i.e. "If I understand you correctly, you are asking me to launch a new viral video for your company no later than tomorrow morning -- one that will get 10 million views by Monday. Is that accurate?" If it is (and you agree), at least you know what your mission is. If it's not (or gives your client pause), the two of you will be able to make some last-minute adjustments to your marching orders.

9. Realize that pushing back and saying "no" is not the same thing as being "negative." Your goal is to create a collaborative relationship, not an abusive one. You want to be a partner, not a slave -- a consultant/advisor, not a whipping boy or girl.

10. Feel free to give your clients feedback, not just head nods. Unfortunately, very few people know how to give feedback in a meaningful, effective, non-threatening way. And so they say nothing. Not a good idea. One feedback format you might consider using is called LCS. It takes only a few minutes, sometimes less. Here's how it works.

Idea Champions
When you need big ideas and are super-time crunched
What our clients say about us

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 08:58 AM | Comments (0)

One of the reasons why aspiring entrepreneurs, writers, artists, musicians and other cultural creatives struggle is because they routinely run into obstacles (inner and outer) that derail them. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Sometimes all that's needed for a creative person to get unstuck is a few minutes of reflection, ideation, and a change of mindset.

That's what Idea Champions' 64 online, self-inquiry pages are all about.

Created by Idea Champions' co-Founder, Mitch Ditkoff, self-inquiry pages are a kind of chiropractic adjustment for your creative mojo.

What follows are the names of various self-inquiry pages I have developed so far, some of which are used in my online "Portal to Possibility" course.

1. Follow Your Calling
2. Discover Your Real Question
3. The Art of Self-Reflection
4. Clarify Your Vision
5. Dream Big with Blue Sky Thinking

6. Make More Time for Creativity
7. Everything Begins with an Idea
8. When and Where Do You Get Your Best Ideas?
9. This is It! Begin Now!
10. Just Say Know: It's OK to be Ignorant, But Only for a While

11. The Ten Characteristics of Highly Creative People
12. You Are on a Hero's Journey!
13. How to Get Out of the Box
14. Honor Your Crazy Ideas
15. Diffuse Your Inner Critic

16. Overcoming Obstacles: How to Trick the Trickster
17. Go Beyond Your Limiting Assumptions
18. Find Your Natural Work Rhythm
19. Act As If
20. The Art of Asking for Help

21. Embrace Messiness, Awkwardness, Frustration, and Difficulty
22. Take More Risks
23. Boundary Alert: How to Say "No"
24. Pilot! Experiment! Try Something New!
25. The Imperfection of Perfectionism

26. Simplify!
27. On Giving and Receiving Feedback
28. Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
29. Putting the Moment Back Into Momentum
30. The Art of Self-Acknowledgment

31. Is It Really More Discipline You Need?
32. Incubate! Lay Fallow! Let It Be!
33. Attract More Support
34. See Through New Eyes
35. The Practice of Creativity is Like Gardening

36. Five Inspiring Creativity Videos
37. What Is the Impact of Noise in Your Life?
38. Immerse!
39. Honor the Dance of Polarities
40. Nurture or Fracture: Dealing with Your Significant Other

41. On Being a Creative Catalyst for Others
42. How to Change the Old Story You're Telling Yourself
43. Maximize Your Focus and Attention
44. Navigate the Messy Middles
45. Make Friends with Uncertainty

46. Failure Is Not What You Think It Is
47. Real Creativity Requires Solitude
48. The Relationship Between AHA and HAHA
49. Liberate Your Subconscious Mind
50. Creativity Is All About Making New Connections

51. The Wisdom of Pablo Picasso
52. The Wisdom of Frank Zappa
53. The Wisdom of Steve Jobs
54. The Wisdom of Albert Einstein
55. The Wisdom of Ludwig von Beethoven

56. The Wisdom of Leonardo da Vinci
57. The Wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi
58. The Wisdom of Vincent Van Gogh
59. The Wisdom of Frieda Kahlo
60. The Wisdom of Georgia O'Keeffe

61. The Wisdom of Amadeus Mozart
62. The Wisdom of Michelangelo
63. The Wisdom of John Lennon
64. The Wisdom of Martin Luther King

The creator of self-inquiry pages
50 awesome quotes on possibility
Photo: Peter Fogden, Unsplash

Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 03:33 PM | Comments (0)