188: Scope Creep w/ Ryan Koral
Have you ever had a project become bigger than it’s supposed to? I know I have. It’s cost me time, money, and sanity. This is scope creep and it’s incredibly common. Fortunately, I’ve learned (the hard way) to avoid it.
It's fine to go that extra mile for your clients. It’s great to give them more than they expect. But if you don’t have healthy boundaries, you risk getting taken advantage of. Your client should be honoring your time and effort by paying you for it,
Supposed “small tweaks” and “just a little thing” become time wasters. Most of us can’t work for free. It can be tough to say no to a seemingly small ask. Yet, it’s crucial to respect yourself as well as your clients. Knowing when to do something extra for a client while also prioritizing your own needs is a difficult tightrope to walk.
Over the years, I’ve found ways to avoid scope creep. Being clear on who the project owner is and thoroughly explaining your process will help. Even explaining from the start that scope creep will mean extra charges can help to prevent it from happening.
Has scope creep taken over one of your projects? Let’s talk about it in the comments on the episode page!
In this episode
- What scope creep is and why it happens to everyone
- What to watch out for when doing work for friends and family
- Why your own priorities are never to be ignored
- Simple tips to prevent scope creep before it becomes an issue
- What to do once the project has grown beyond what it should
Quotes
“You should overdeliver. You should be kind to your clients. You should let them experience the huge value that you bring. But what you also should do is have boundaries.” [4:13]
“If you want to go the extra mile, do that. But in those cases, make sure you’re letting them know.” [15:19]
“I’ve been fortunate enough to hear from a lot of different people who have been using the ASCEND Method over the past few years who have landed huge jobs and have had a lot of success because they have a process now; they have confidence in these meetings.” [20:12]
Links
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