Understand the Client's Situation

Chapter six deals with understanding the client’s situation, this is vital when trying to accomplish a particular job. Understanding what the issues are that the client needs help with will more than likely place you in the right track. You have been called for a particular reason, understanding what the reason is will more than likely get you and the client closer. Understanding where the client comes from and where he/she wants to go make things a lot easier for both parties. The Enterprise IT model lays out a perfect outline of what needs to be done to accomplish the mission. An excellent tip that I will adopt from this particular chapter is to become a good observant. The author used a very colorful quote from Yogi Berra, “You can observe a lot just by watching.” This could not be better put, anyone can watch but not everyone can observe. I believe that if a person really wants to get the insight of how something works, they need to infiltrate the organization. These types of procedures are very common in law enforcement, where undercover agents become part of the organization they want to “bring down.” As an insider you can evaluate the environment, atmosphere, work flow and attitudes. We all know that we act differently when someone is watching us work, especially if it’s our boss, this is just human nature. If you are trying to get an accurate understanding of the situation, walking around with a white coat and a clip board will probably not help. Another good tip mentioned by the author and that I would like to try out in my office is conducting surveys. This would be an excellent way to gather information from the people you going to work with. I think this also puts people at ease, getting their input might be as important to you as it is for them.