barbara pedersen business, business planning, collaboration, community, complexity, consulting, Conversation, design, Dialogue, Discussion, Diversity, facilitation, feedback, fierce conversations, hybrid sessions, in-person facilitation, Inclusion, intersectionality, listening, online facilitation, Planning, process, Simplicity, storytelling, strategic planning, Talking, team building, team work, Trends, virtual facilitation, Visual facilitation

This week, an organization I worked with most recently in 2021 asked me to facilitate a strategic planning process. This opportunity, coming from the success of a project four years ago, made me reflect on my approaches with clients.

Here are a few of my stories, musings, and lessons.

Give wholeheartedly, and you will receive even more in return.

The client I mentioned above had a limited budget for an online World Café community session. Despite my online facilitation experience, I had never run a World Café online. I believed in the organization’s services, felt I could contribute meaningfully, and embraced the challenge. I accepted the project at a much lower fee and invested significant effort into designing the session. It went wonderfully. Four years later, they have requested my services, this time with an expanded process and budget.

You don’t always “win.” When you don’t, give something of value.

I facilitated a day-long session with a leadership team. The day seemed successful, with active participation, insightful conversations, laughter, and clear next steps. Participants expressed satisfaction during the closing conversation. However, two weeks later, during our debrief conversation, the Executive Director shared her dissatisfaction with the session. I chose not to try to explain, as it would have only sounded defensive. Instead, I asked for more feedback, listened, and thanked her. To address the situation, I reduced my fee by 20%. Offering a free session likely would not have been accepted. Offering no fee would have diminished the value of my service and the positive feedback from some participants. Each facilitator must find their comfort level in such situations.

Ask for more money? Be at ease with your decisions.

At times, I have provided extra services to a client without additional compensation. This may be due to my miscalculation of the project’s complexity and time requirements. That’s on me, and I don’t ask for an adjusted fee. Other times, the extra work is something a client requests without recognizing the additional effort. I need to decide if it’s worth bringing up.

If it’s a clear add-on, like extending a session from one to two days or a significant change in outcomes, I request an increased fee. If it’s extra time to write a report because I want to ponder and think, I typically don’t, as it’s time I need to do my best work.

My decision depends on factors such as:

  • Will I feel discontented because I feel taken advantage of?
  • Will I feel content because I did what I felt was right and provided the best service?
  • How much do I enjoy the client and the work?
  • What is the likelihood of future work?

Trust your body.

When working with a client, listen to your body. Do you feel churning in your gut or a tingly sensation in your neck? If it feels wrong, it probably is; if it feels right, it likely is.

These are stories and lessons that immediately came to mind. I’ll love to hear yours.