“I’m not sure how they are going to take it”, I said.
I was on my first steps as a consultant, and a project grew tremendously overnight. From a small, short-term plan, it turned into a wider operation that included more organizations involved, more people, greater time span and more moving parts. This all means a lot more uncertainty.
I found myself with a lot of question marks- Who is in charge of different parts (administration; payments; communication, etc.)? Who determines the deadlines? How do we come to agreement about different topics? We did not define our procedures. And then doubt creeped in- How are we going to pull this off? Did I budget things correctly? Is it too much for me to handle?
I was doubting myself and started spiraling. I was certain that my partners in this project are going to think I am not professional enough and are going to judge every question I ask or comment I make.
So, I took a deep breath, and asked for advice from friends and colleagues, to get different perspectives. I got to hear and consider different points of view, as well as get the support I needed, that little boost that says- You know!
I decided to trust my gut, and follow my stated values – transparency, authenticity.
And I took action.
My next steps were to create a detailed plan of how I see the project, tasks, responsibilities, and timeline, as well as set a time for a call.
On our call I stated what information I needed to continue with the project, how we align the responsibilities, procedures, and processes. I also pointed out any type of communication I would like to eliminate (anything that might be disrespectful to anyone involved in the process), and what communication pieces should be more consistent and present.
The result was better than I expected!
The response was very accepting, understanding the differences of communication styles. “I was wrong to assume that everyone was on the same page, I should have communicated it better”, said my counterpart. I was relieved.
I came out of this situation with important lessons:
1. Trust your gut – if you think something needs to change, it’s not because you don’t know, it’s because there’s a need to explore it.
2. Communicate openly – if you state what you need, ask the questions that you have, share your concerns, you open the door to better communication and greater results.
3. Remember - they appreciate and trust you! There’s a reason they work with you- they believe in what you bring and trust you. If you are authentic, they are not going to take that trust back, they are going to appreciate you even more.
4. Surround yourself with cheerleaders- people who you trust and value who can be a healthy sounding board for you.
5. Have a positive regard – you both have the best interest for each other and the success of your joint efforts.
6. If I take charge, I can set the tone more, and support my needs in the process.
All I did was be true to myself. And guess what - it worked!
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