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The only strategy I've been part of that has worked in this situation is to set up one person as the gatekeeper and shield the rest of the team from any contact
by pengo 7y ago
The only strategy I've been part of that has worked in this situation is to set up one person as the gatekeeper and shield the rest of the team from any contact with the client. Pick your gatekeeper with care and give them 100% support.
Also, while fully understanding why your client is behaving like this may not always be possible, you can usually get part of that picture; do they want leverage, are they under pressure themselves? Sometimes understanding this can help you proactively short-circuit their behaviour.
- RobertRoberts 7y agoI generally agree having one contact person mitigates the spread of the damage. But it seems like he is asking for feedback partly because he has the role of the gatekeeper himself (at least part of the time if not all of it). Eventually everyone will hit their limit though, no matter how much support they get, or how well your coping mechanisms are. Therefore, doesn't it seem useful to find a way to ask clients to behave appropriately/respectfully? Even if they say "no", at least this opens up clear communication. (ie, if he says "I am _going_ to be jerk, live with it,", then it seems appropriate to openly be protective in return.)