A8. Managing Client Relations

Designer/manager needs to understand how the client's business works:

• ask questions directly - gives insight into the client's perspective
• additional research - via the organisational website, company report, corporate documents

Being client-focused:

• keep the client informed and up to date - on what is happening, when it is happening and how it is happening, throughout the lifespine of the project
• the client needs to communicate - any changes in strategy, priorities and personnel that may effect the project's success

To do:

1. To hold regular meetings
2. Clearly agree roles and responsibilities - to identify who is responsible for what
3. Write regular status reports
4. Create a project plan - that charts actual progress of the projectagainst proposal
5. take into the account the bigger picture of the customers, stakeholders and Shareholders
6. to support an awareness of design - by building long-term relationships inside and outside of the organisation

Clients want:

• chemistry
• understanding
• loyalty
• commitment
• trust
• respect
• integrity
• passion
• collaboration
• partnership

Motivating factors:
Consultant

• Organisation - Develop their reputation
• Organisation - Profitable
• People - Challenge to do better work
• People - Emotionally rewarding

Client

• Organisation - Develop their business
• Organisation - Value for money
  
• People - Develop their career
  
• People - Emotionally rewarding

Designing the meeting
Before the meeting:

1. Prepare an agenda
2. Make sure everyone attending is aware of the meeting's purpose
3. Only invi the people who need to be there
4. Distribute the agenda and any accompanying documents in advance
5. Anyone unable to attend should communicate their apologies

During the meeting:

1. The meeting 'chair' works through each item on the agenda
2. Each item on the agenda is resolved through open discussion, reaching a conclusion and agreeing an action
3. The chairperson should manage interruptions or discussions that wander away from the agenda
4. The meeting should start with items that can be resolved fairly quickly, to establish a sense of pace and accomplishment
5. A person should be appointed to take minutes

After the meeting:

1. The minutes should be written up and circulated

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For Major Project

The client in this case wont be TFL but tutor. During our tutorials we are informing him about the progress, what, when and how is happening.

Our motivating factors:

• Develop our knowledge (to learn)
• Challenge to do better work
• Emotionally rewarding

Designing the meeting
For our meetings I use as an information channel our blog. Each post about the meeting includes:

1. What we were talking about/doing during the meeting
2. What we agreed/decided
3. What are next steps/tasks
4. When is the next meeting - including where and how (personal/online conference call)
5. What is the agenda for the next meeting