Don’t you hate it when clients yell at you? Or worse there’s an escalation despite the effort that you had put in over the weekend! Thankless beings!
I can understand. It’s frustrating. Been there and done that! What you need to know is that you need to stay ready for such feedback sessions. Be strong, not timid. The fear of judgement often puts us in the backseat, sabotaging not just our career growth but also our self-esteem. How good is a dummy with 15 years of rock solid industry experience? Absolutely nothing.
Know that feedback is a two-way street and you really don’t have to act like a docile lamb and just hear what your clients have to say. Particularly, if you know that you have given it all and your conscience is clear. At such times, you need to declutter your thinking to think rationally.
Clients can be ruthless. Especially if they think highly of you and have invested a significant amount of time to walk you through their requirements and what they expect. Their reaction is quite valid. From their standpoint. And of course, it’s not something you can influence. Your reaction, or rather response, is a matter of choice.
Here’s what you should do — open up a word processor or a piece of paper (if that moves you!). Write down your thoughts in the following framework:
1) Situation
2) Challenge(s)
3) Queries
4) Solution(s)
Write down as many (as long as they’re relevant) bullets you can write. Don’t worry about elaborating them. The focus is on taking an inventory of your thoughts, feelings and emotions and have them in one place. This simple hack positions you to be much more responsive than reactive.
Guess who will be in better control during your next call?
Remember, your clients are like you. It’s just that they heavily count on you to deliver. Each time and every time. An unreasonable expectation, but they have their reasons. You are suppose to be an expert after all! It’s important for you to be empathetic and think through yours and their thoughts, feelings and emotions.
That’s what separates the ordinary from a rockstar performer at the workplace!