Herding Cats

As a cat owner, or rather someone who is owned by cats, I know that herding them is impossible. They each go their own way. And it is usually the opposite way of where you want them to go.

If you have ever worked for a client on a project that depends on the decisions of a committee, you will probably have had that "herding cats" feeling. One person on the committee will tell you to do one thing, another will tell you the opposite. Or, you find it impossible to get timely answers to your project questions. That's about the time you sit back and think, "Wow. This 6 week project has turned into 6 months!" Ah, the frustration...

Over the years, I have developed a few strategies to keep the "cats" out of the process:

1) Insist that you deal with one person and one person only. A second back up person is a good idea, but when available, your contact should be the same person throughout the project.

2) Ask that you only be given instructions that are final decisions, not those still swirling around in the committee.

3) Use a realistic deadline to get answers when you have project questions. Otherwise, you could be waiting for a very long time.

There is no question that working with a committee on a project takes a little more time and effort, but there are ways that you can minimize the stress level.