Everyone has good or bad stories to tell about people they have worked with or for. It’s a fact of life that everyone has different personalities and quirks, and not everyone is going to get along. Currently, I am one of the experts who is helping a client gather requirements for a new system that will help collaborate a bunch of legacy systems into one. During this process, I am working for two months in a conference room, all day with the client. One of the things that I love about is that I will get to know my clients as more than just the people who are cutting me a check. Knowing your client is something that is very important in order to have a successful outcome on a project. You are able to understand what they want, and how they are are used to doing things.

As a Consultant, you have to be flexible to deal with change and the different personalities that come with the job. Some clients let you take control and only check in once in awhile, and others have to be part of every step of the way. It’s something that you can’t take personally because you never know what the reasons are for the clients reason to behave in the way that they do. The only way you are going to find success is by smiling and going with the flow.

People see me now and think that I have always been a social person. No, I haven’t. I used to be the most antisocial person you will ever encounter. However, I realized that just because I am a Writer, doesn’t meant that I won’t be interacting with people. Therefore, I took a public speaking class and read books on how to be a little bit more extroverted. There are times where I have to force myself to be social. However, it’s getting easier to be this way because I realize that without a smile being attached to my experience, a client will not want to work with me.

Photo Detail: Two People – Business Meeting, originally uploaded by MyDigitalSLRCamera.