You start out a project with one clear end in mind, and somewhere down the line, you find that with every other conversation with the client, there is something new added to your table outside of what you originally agreed to. The thing is, many times, you would have been neck-deep in delivering on this new direction that wasn’t even in the project brief when you realise how it was never really a part of the plan at the beginning. And in the worst cases, you might happen on this realisation when the project is all over, and you are taking stock of how things went, or curious as to how what you originally agreed to left you feeling more exhausted than you would expect.
This is not an isolated experience for creatives. When the brief at the start of the project is noticeably different from what is delivered by the end. The dangerous part of this experience is how subtle it can be. In fact, the client may not even realise the effect of the little changes they make here and there during the course of the project. It literally creeps up on you if you are not too mindful.
The subtlety is why it is so easy to fall prey to it repeatedly, especially in the early days of one’s creative journey. Having the scope of a project widen and grow as you engage in it doesn’t just leave you at a financial disadvantage—as the client is less likely to adjust the earlier agreed rates to reflect the new deliverables—it leaves you exhausted as a creator. The kind of exhaustion that is sometimes hard to place. An exhausted creator can only produce so much good work.
First off, let’s look at some ways project scopes grow right under the creator’s nose. It can be the one feedback that redirects the entire project—that’s a brief change. Or the little request while you are at the project that requires you to create in a format or a version that you didn’t agree to earlier. It can also come as a shrink in the timeline, with the client wanting you to deliver earlier than intended. And in some interesting cases, it comes as feedback from an important member of your client’s team who does not have the same needs or outlook on the project as the person you already interact with.
So, how can you steer clear of instances like these without ruining your relationship with the client?
Have the project scope and engagement guidelines set out and clearly documented at the start of the project. It is easy to expand what is blurred or only happened as a verbal agreement/conversation, so this is important. Having everything documented makes it easy for you or the client to refer to agreed deliverables as the project progresses.
Include a change of order clause in your contract and don’t be afraid to use it. Sure enough, some clients expand the scope without realising, but some others do it mindfully in a bid to get more output for less cost. Having a change of order clause in your contract permits you to attach a few to the new deliverables, different from those agreed earlier, that can spring up.
Learn to say “no”. We get the fear of being that creative who is considered difficult because you don’t want to do one more thing beyond the earlier agreed scope. But holding on to that fear makes it harder for you to say no. Your inability to say no would leave you doing more work than you bargained for, with no equal remuneration until you can learn to say no—without sounding dismissive or difficult.
Foster clear and honest communication with your client. When you notice the scope of a project starts expanding, mention it. Even if it is just a little favour that you can handle at no extra cost, it is worth highlighting how it is now outside the scope, without dismissing the client’s idea.
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As we have seen in the earlier parts of this article, this occurrence of an expanding scope is most often subtle. Put in the right structure from the start, and don’t get too lost in the work and producing great results that you don’t notice when you start doing way more than you signed up for. Lastly, express your thoughts on an expanding scope with tact. You don’t want to ruin long-term relationships with clients due to poor communication skills.
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