Getting an angry wet cat to purr: turning an unhealthy client relationship into a productive one
Donna Bungard
High demands, high anxiety clients are a reality of agency life. Their stresses, deadlines, and sometimes lack of understanding of the technology can create tension and take a project (or the client relationship) off track. Together we’ll discuss common challenges and the strategies that satisfy the clients need while insulating your team; allowing them to be more effective. These strategies will include how to: Herding Cats: wrangle in out of control expectations Stop the Hissing: promote positive, team-focused communication styles Playing Well Together: encouraging multi-player team involvement without sidetracking the dev team Detaching the Claws from the Ceiling: being a calming voice while holding your ground and mitigating scope creep Grooming: performing a retrospective at important milestones that produce actionable improvements moving forward Walk away with people-focused tactics that will help you improve your relationships with both the client and inside of your team.
High demands, high anxiety clients are a reality of agency life. Their stresses, deadlines, and sometimes lack of understanding of the technology can create tension and take a project (or the client relationship) off track. Together we’ll discuss common challenges and the strategies that satisfy the clients need while insulating your team; allowing them to be more effective. These strategies will include how to: Herding Cats: wrangle in out of control expectations Stop the Hissing: promote positive, team-focused communication styles Playing Well Together: encouraging multi-player team involvement without sidetracking the dev team Detaching the Claws from the Ceiling: being a calming voice while holding your ground and mitigating scope creep Grooming: performing a retrospective at important milestones that produce actionable improvements moving forward Walk away with people-focused tactics that will help you improve your relationships with both the client and inside of your team.