However tough the market, or how limited the opportunities appear to be, you should always ensure that your skills and delivery are targeted and therefore respected and rewarded, as agreed at the outset.
It’s an easy trap to fall into and to continue to drop further down where you persist and allocate your precious time and skills where they’re not recognised and rewarded as agreed.
The first key step in delivering externally to our clients, is the need to be thorough in how we engage and detail the ‘Brief’ for the assignment. This includes confirming the client’s Key Requirements, delivery schedule, service level milestones and the costs and payment schedule. All confirmed in print.
As we know, what we don’t discuss and confirm within this critical ‘Briefing’, will cause wasted time and mis-delivery, costing us and our client.
It’s essential that what has been agreed, is used in benchmarking delivery within the regular reviews with the client and that any alterations to the original factors are raised and resolved.
Remember, ‘Opportunity Cost’ is the value of the option not taken when you choose an alternative to work on. That option can include persisting to invest your time and skills on an assignment where your input is not respected or where the parameters are constantly changing, resulting in your limited potential for success.
Your time would be better invested in engaging with potential clients in highlighting the solutions you can provide them, including profiling high calibre candidates who you’re representing exclusively.
In short:
· Ensure you secure a thorough and realistic brief at the appropriate compensation with achievable milestones. Decide then and confirm.
· Review weekly where you’re allocating your time and resources and assess the cost (hours spent at the rate of all resources) versus the reward for each role.
· Engage clearly with clients on any issues to agree amicable solutions.
· Be prepared to disengage where appropriate with full disclosure.
When was the last time you ‘walked away’ from an assignment on your terms?
