Thanks to the Internet, the availability of freelance and consultant talent is greater than ever. World-class designers, videographers, photographers, strategists, copywriters, and programmers are all just a few clicks away.

There are two approaches to working with freelance and consulting talent.

The first is to give someone a clean sheet of paper and minimal direction. "Here is what we want to accomplish, here is our budget, dazzle me!" That's an exciting approach and a great way to do something if the talent has unique expertise and money is no concern. The creativity unleashed in this approach can be incredible. Or it can be disastrous.

The second approach is to provide the talent with a well-defined objective that includes some specific direction. "Here are three logos we really like, a brief description of our company, our products, our markets, the file formats we need, our milestones and deadlines, our budget, and how we intend to pay. Come back with several concepts by Friday and, if we like them, you can invoice us and we’ll move to the next phase of the project." See the difference?

Confusing these two approaches is the primary cause of client  (and talent) dissatisfaction. Missed expectations disappoint everyone and impair future communication. Everyone suffers when confidence and trust are eroded.

The second approach requires more work, more preparation, and more discipline. It involves thinking hard because you may be outside your area of expertise. It involves the willingness to learn enough about a subject to manage the outcome. Yes, it is still the client’s responsibility to manage the outcome of the project.

Blaming the talent is like blaming the messenger, convenient but wrong.

Steve