Have you ever heard the saying “strong fences make good neighbors”? I’m pretty sure it originated with ranchers and cowboys, but I happen to think it applies to just about any professional relationship.
If by “fences” I mean “boundaries” and by “good neighbors” I mean “collaborators.”
This month, we’re talking about managing our business relationships. The people we let into our lives, businesses, and inboxes can really affect the quality of our day-to-day lives. A talented collaborator, a gifted employee, and satisfied client–these people make our jobs easy.
But if we miss the red flags? Well, that’s a whole different story.
Healthy, respectful boundaries are the main ingredient in any successful business relationship. If you’re not sure where to start with creating boundaries, here’s what works well for me 99% of the time (there is that 1% that slips by until it’s too late…but we’ll talk more about what to do when that happens in next weeks post).
1. Make your boundaries as clear as possible from the start.
The first time you communicate with a potential client, vendor, hire, or collaborator be honest and upfront about how you work, your process, and what you prefer. Resist the urge to use ye olde “whatever works best for you.” If your process isn’t a good fit for someone, they’ll tell you–and that’s a good thing! Do you really want to work with someone who doesn’t respect your boundaries? I didn’t think so.
2. Create a contract.
Nothing says “boundaries” like a signed document. Every contract should cover payment expectations, how many rounds of edits are included, projected timeline and how communication and response times can affect them.
A good resource for smaller businesses without an attorney is Rocket Lawyer, where you can find contract templates to customize, and get them along with other legal documents reviewed by vetted attorneys.
3. Share your communication preferences.
Do you like one long email each day with bullet points? Or would you prefer several short emails each with different subject lines? Your new collaborator won’t know unless you tell them. If you need help with this, I love Sarah Von Bargen’s collaboration guidelines and Susan Drumm’s Make A Pact product; both of these show you how to have potentially awkward conversations with charm and candor.
4. Choose one source of information + communication.
I don’t know about you, but I much prefer one email with a few attachments to a series of Twitter DMs, text messages, or a pile of Google docs thrown in for added confusion. Be clear about where you’ll receive communications, so your work together can be effective and efficient.
5. Give good boundaries to get good boundaries.
I don’t email my clients on the weekends or at night because I don’t particularly want to be emailed at those times. Similarly, I don’t call them unexpectedly or text them when I know business hours have ended in their time zone. Unless you happen to work with someone who has become a good friend as well, be sure to agree on times for things like phone calls, and be respectful of one another’s boundaries.
It really is true: we teach people how to treat us. Isn’t it great to know you can do it politely and professionally? Don’t you feel better knowing you won’t get 15 phone calls after hours? That’s what boundaries feel like! Ahhhh!
P.S. You’ve made sure your website is mobile responsive, right?
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