HTJ: Serve the client, not just the project

In the age of information and technology, tech is often still the bane of my existence. 

It’s glorious when everything works right, and an absolute p—a—i—n when it decides not to comply.

So, as one would expect…my computer and Adobe programs started to act up on a recent Thursday which meant handing it over to “my computer guy” with the promise that it would be ready for me at the end of the day.

Friday afternoon rolled around, and I finally reconnected to my computer. Success! 

—or so I thought—

Everything fired up quickly, but when I went to open Outlook…nothing happened. 

(on a Friday at 5:15pm no less)

No one was (understandably) available to help.

This moment reminded me of a really important principle: serve the client…not just the project. 

My computer guy is an IT expert, and has forgotten more about technology than I will ever know. He did a marvelous job of focusing on my Adobe issue. In the process, though, he failed to double-check that everything else was in working order. 

Here’s the thing…we’re all guilty of this mistake. 

• Copy-and-paste strategies for different clients
• The same disciplinary approach for our kids (even though they’re completely different individuals)

It’s surprisingly easy in the moment to get tunnel vision on the task at hand—rather than going the extra mile. 

Here at Donovan, my team and I are committed to serving the client, not just the project. And my computer mishap was a simple reminder that doing so turns every “project” into an opportunity to better the lives of others around us.  

That, my friend, is the end game.

Jeff Donovan