When you engage external firms, you need clarity on why. Do you need outcomes or just task completion? Do you need extra time and hands, or do you need expertise?
I’ve been on both sides of this equation, and friction around these expectations is a common source of frustration.
Things we should normalize:
– Service providers telling clients when requests are a poor use of their money.
– Clients telling providers directly when they do and don’t want input.
– Service providers explaining clearly to clients what is above or below their capability threshold.
– Clients offering maximum transparency around the context of what they have versus what they need.
– Service providers and clients committing to explicit mutual rules of engagement.
These are all various iterations of one of my favorite proverbs: you can’t get blood from a turnip.
