When the honeymoon is over...
I have been working with a client for a couple of months now and when he asked me to come on board to help with his business I couldn't have been more thrilled!
We hit it off like a house on fire, had the same ideas on things and were really on the same page as far as planning and strategy were concerned.
In the beginning everything was great, we'd talk all the time and get on well with our tasks both individually and when the need arose, together. Recently though, the relationship seems to have taken a bit of a sour turn.
There hasn't been an incident, we've both just carried on as normal but I now find him being nit-picky and fussy over my work and some of his suggestions I find quite ridiculous to be honest with you!
As he is my client, I would normally just cut ties if things like this end up in the too-hard-basket but the problem with this man is that the work is of an ongoing nature and he's also extremely well-connected so at this point in my career, it's a valuable relationship to keep going. In fact, I've already got more business from the work I've provided to him so I'd be silly to cause a scene.
As I said, there hasn't been an incident, it just feels as though the shine has been dimmed from what I thought was a bright start.
Is this common? Is there a honeymoon period in business relationships as well as personal? When you meet a potential colleague for the first time is everyone just on their best behaviour and then the defences drop?
With this guy, I know this is just a bit of a personality clash and to be honest, now I look back the writing was on the wall in those early days too, I was just too caught up in the excitement of a new project to see it. There is too much at stake to make a drama in this instance and I know I'm going to have to ride it out so that's not my question.
I'd just be interested to hear your personal experience if you have ever been involved in a new work relationship that ended up not being that great.
What did you do when you realised the honeymoon was over...?
We hit it off like a house on fire, had the same ideas on things and were really on the same page as far as planning and strategy were concerned.
In the beginning everything was great, we'd talk all the time and get on well with our tasks both individually and when the need arose, together. Recently though, the relationship seems to have taken a bit of a sour turn.
There hasn't been an incident, we've both just carried on as normal but I now find him being nit-picky and fussy over my work and some of his suggestions I find quite ridiculous to be honest with you!
As he is my client, I would normally just cut ties if things like this end up in the too-hard-basket but the problem with this man is that the work is of an ongoing nature and he's also extremely well-connected so at this point in my career, it's a valuable relationship to keep going. In fact, I've already got more business from the work I've provided to him so I'd be silly to cause a scene.
As I said, there hasn't been an incident, it just feels as though the shine has been dimmed from what I thought was a bright start.
Is this common? Is there a honeymoon period in business relationships as well as personal? When you meet a potential colleague for the first time is everyone just on their best behaviour and then the defences drop?
With this guy, I know this is just a bit of a personality clash and to be honest, now I look back the writing was on the wall in those early days too, I was just too caught up in the excitement of a new project to see it. There is too much at stake to make a drama in this instance and I know I'm going to have to ride it out so that's not my question.
I'd just be interested to hear your personal experience if you have ever been involved in a new work relationship that ended up not being that great.
What did you do when you realised the honeymoon was over...?