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@SteveBarnett
Last active January 10, 2017 03:33
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Firing a client. Notes from my contract and two great books.

Contract killer.

https://github.com/SteveBarnett/Contract/blob/master/contract.md#the-details

If, at any stage, you're not happy with the direction our work is taking, you'll inform us and pay us in full for all time spent on your project until that point and cancel this contract.


Mike Monteiro. “Design Is a Job.”

https://abookapart.com/products/design-is-a-job

Make sure your contract includes:

  • Intellectual property (IP) transfers on full payment. Until they’ve paid you for it, it belongs to you.
  • Deliverables acceptance language. Do not get fired and deliver the work.

Mike Monteiro. “You're My Favorite Client.”

https://abookapart.com/products/youre-my-favorite-client

Small or big mistakes?

You’re better off putting your energy in figuring out how to recover from mistakes than avoiding them altogether.

Anything you can fix with a few hours or even days of work is a small mistake.

A big mistake is something that puts the project timeline at risk. Avoid mistakes of this magnitude by frequently checking in, paying attention to details, and taking extra care that sign-off really means sign-off.

The minute your goals shift from doing good work to salvaging current work, you have a problem. How do you know the relationship is unrecoverable? Simple. You no longer trust the designers. I recommend a direct approach. Something like, “You’ve strayed off course and the project is headed toward failure! Once you have their attention, lay out the severity of the situation, including the consequences.

I can acknowledge that I failed. I can review my actions, look for where I screwed up, and ask my boss for details or advice. I can use it as an opportunity to get better at what I do by not repeating those mistakes. I also come off as a person who knows how to hop back on a horse after being thrown.

A few conversation guidelines:

  • Never communicate angry
  • Have a plan
  • Know the outcome you want
  • Read the room

Fire someone with as much clarity and honesty and empathy as possible.

What about your money?

  • You pay people for the work they did.
  • You most definitely owe people for the work you’ve approved.
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