Jade needed some help with a client. While she loved the client’s work, and who the client was, her client’s way of working didn’t fit with Jade’s style. Jade felt watched, judged, and, as a result, felt she made far too many mistakes. Those mistakes contributed to the watching and judging her client was doing, which then led to even MORE mistakes.
Jade had talked with her client, who was frustrated beyond belief. She felt that although they genuinely liked each other and were persuaded of each other’s worth, they just couldn’t figure out how to make the VA/client relationship work—even four months into it.
She wanted my counsel on how to make things work. My opinion was that it wouldn’t work, and that she should end the relationship and move on to another one in which things would be easier.
Jade was surprised to hear my thoughts. She genuinely believed I would know what she could do to make things work.
Some things just aren’t meant to.
Bit O’Moxie: Some relationships simply aren’t meant to be, for any number of reasons. You’ll know one of them when things are hard, all the time, or even most of the time. Great relationships are full of ease. And while that’s not to say that great relationships never have rough spots to be worked through, it’s because they’re fundamentally easy that working through the rough spots is—you got it—easy (or at least, easier!).
When it’s just too hard, and everything you do seems to be a mistake, see the sign for what it is…a chance to make things in your business better…and get off that gerbil wheel you’ve been running on. Graciously (and quickly) say what’s so to your client (“Joan, I don’t really understand why things in our relationship are so difficult for us both, but I’m not ok with continuing this way as I don’t want to damage our mutual good will, your business, or my reputation. So I’d like to bring our working relationship to a close effective ___(no more than two weeks from the date of this conversation!)____. That should give us enough time to wrap up, and for you to find another VA to work with.”), part company with the client and move on without giving it another thought! Better clients for you are waiting to avail themselves of your mad skills and overall fabulousness!
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