Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology

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(Photo by rob_pym)

I’m hosting this week’s Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants! Sorry it’s a day late. The topic I chose was a tough one, too: I asked people to talk about mistakes they make with clients, and how they deal with them. There weren’t many takers on this one, but there are some real troopers out there in the nonprofit consultant blogosphere, so there’s some great stuff to talk about. And, since it’s a tough topic, I’ll not take myself off the hook.

The theme in all of the blog posts, and in my own approach to this issue, is transparency: we do all make mistakes, and what’s important is being honest about them.

Mark, of Sea Change Strategies, talks about five mistakes he’s made in working with clients, includes things such as ignoring internal organizational dynamics, and getting too involved, or not involved enough. He has some really good thoughts worth considering as we work with clients over time.

Michele Martin gets naked, that is, practices her transparency preaching, and talks about mistakes she’s made, and goes into detail on her approach to dealing with mistakes.

Michael Stein talks about three different kinds of mistakes that one can make in technology consulting, including some errors of process, and the “Hot Dog” syndrome. A great read for anyone who does development for clients.

I’ve made most of the mistakes outlined in all three of these brave blog postings. I think it is easy to feel like we’re the “experts” so we shouldn’t make mistakes. It’s all to easy (and I’ve seen it often) to do anything we can to avoid being wrong about something. Transparency, or, Michele Martin’s phrase, “getting naked” is key, I think. Being transparent with clients about our own processes and weak points, and where we may falter, and, most importantly, being transparent and honest when we make mistakes, is what can make the difference between happy clients and ones that wish they’d picked someone else.