I love working with my clients, and yet I get so frustrated sometimes — not at them, but for them. I get frustrated on their behalf because of the organizational absurdity they have to deal with. For example:
- A management team focuses on improving employee and customer engagement despite inconsistent or no corporate support.
- An executive director struggles to move forward with a board-approved strategic plan while lacking sufficient resources that include board member support. (The latter is well-meaning but complacent.)
- A department head labors to accomplish departmental objectives with conflicting goals and multiple agendas as the top executive’s vision and those of the division heads exist on different planes.
These clients know what they need to do despite being hindered by misplaced priorities, misguided executives, and misaligned goals. So they persevere.
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Theodore Roosevelt.
I care about and admire my clients, and I’ll do my best to help them succeed no matter what – even when it’s being a sounding board for them.
Unfortunately, there’s no magic solution for organizational lunacy. I just wish I had a supply of silver bullets they could bite.