Help! Client's Three Week Worries

[Denis Cowan]

Douglas  G'day. (This turned into a longer message than I thought)

  It seems to me that the issue here is to focus on the jitters not the OST
process.

Trying to sell or justify the process may only lead to setting up
unsustainable expectations.  I do not think there is any piece of info. or
paper that will send the clients jitters away. The jitters may be  about
them not wanting to give up "control" or be seen as the perpetrator
of  "failure".

Do you yourself believe that it is the appropriate process for the situation ?

If so, sit within that strength.

I have found over the years that often "the jitters" are only an
unconscious check by the client of my confidence. I find that if I show
doubt, that this in itself increases the client's jitters.

One possible way is to talk to the client about the jitters.
   Things like.
It is usual for first time people to get the jitters.
  No I cannot guarantee that it will work. Yes you will most probably have
the jitters for the next few weeks - it is normal ?
Do you always get the jitters before workshops ?
What do you normally do to resolve the jitters ?

  You may find that as it gets closer that the client is anti the process
entirely. That may be the time to ask the client to make a decision about
whether or not they want you to run an OST.

If this is so, ask them if they wish to continue with the process.  On the
odd occasion the client will say no and it is then your call as to whether
or not you decide to facilitate the new process.

  A second possible way.
I have just had another thought.  The client may be  in the Pre-OST space
invader stage. i.e they are already setting up a process by which they can
invade the process if they get the jitters during the OST.

How would you handle their jitters if it was during the OST ?

Excuse the paternalistic focus of the following.

It may be time to take a deep breath, tap into your courage, sit with the
client and listen to his/her jitters and in silence let them flow over you
without response or comment.

Anyway, enjoy yourself

Regards

denis

At 04:10 PM 5/02/2003 -0500, Douglas D. Germann, Sr. wrote:
>Hi--
>
>Help, please!
>
>My client is getting jittery over how their OST will work. This is the one
>about "Influencing Senior Healthcare and Well-Being," which starts 2 weeks
>from today. 3 Wednesdays, 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm each day.
>
>Their main worry seems to be, What if 50 people show up and post 30 topics?
>We only have space for 9-10 breakout sessions, and they fear people will be
>disappointed if their session got "bumped" to the next week's time slot.
>
>Their solution? Have the opening be "You 8 people go to this space, you 8
>go to that space. Everybody gets 5 minutes to say what their issue is,
>around the circle. Then the group leader reports back to the main group."
>Sounds like a sure way to get *everybody* frustrated, to me.
>
>So what would you tell them? What documents would you download and e-mail
>to them to show that they really don't have anything to fear, that the good
>people they have invited will handle it very well?
>
>Please help me reason with these people, so we have a good event.
>
>                               :-Doug. Germann
>
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denis cowan , brisbane , australia.
email:  cowandp at bigpond.net.au

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