This post springboards off a great HBR offering, Two Ways to Reduce Hurry-Up-and-Wait Syndrome.
The author, Ron Askhkenas of Schaffer Consulting observes that many clients who make urgent requests and then “disappear” are not intentionally abusive. They’re just busy. Our business culture moves fast and because it has “slimmed down over the last few years,” fewer employees must get more done. Add real-time communication to the mix, and we live in an environment infused with a sense of perpetual urgency.
He recommends a two-pronged approach to dealing with clients who operate on a hurry-up-and-wait basis. The first is to eliminate unnecessary or low-value work. That can add time to take on rewarding projects. The second is to prioritize. Figure out what you need to do fast and let those making new requests know where they fit into your list of priorities.
At first, I was inclined to think his recommendations were unrealistic. After all, as a freelance copywriter, I try to keep an even flow of work coming in, but realistically, that doesn’t always happen. If a client has a last-minute request, and I’ve got time before a draft that’s out for review comes back, then I fit the project in. The other concern is that if I turn down a client, she’ll go elsewhere and not come back. (Other writers I know have confided the same fear.)
Recently, though, I rethought this position. And turned down a client who invariably contacts me for projects that must be turned around in 24 hours or less. What’s made it easier to do this has been learning that the organization has a well-deserved reputation as sweatshop. It’s never fun to feel as though you’re on the business end of someone’s poor planning or basic lack of respect. Another thing, too, is that if your commitment is to consistently do good work, it’s a great idea to mitigate the crunch factor.
So, I soldier on, as do other copywriters, attempting to be responsive, set realistic expectations, and strike a balance between work and life.
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