Setting Client Boundaries: Get Curious & Get Clear

Contributed by Woodrie Burich

Client boundaries are unique. Unlike other work relationships, the demands from our clientele can be hard to navigate – because they are tied so closely to our business success (i.e., revenue, referrals, etc.). Yet, client boundaries are vital to keeping ourselves (and our team) strong, centered, and clear.

Benefits of Boundaries

One of the most significant benefits of setting boundaries is the creation of time and space. Boundaries allow us to refocus our energy in areas most meaningful to us. They allow us to redefine our work relationships.

Working with challenging and draining client relationships or having outdated and reactionary client response styles can be extremely draining and time-consuming. Learning to shore up those energy drains through boundaries is energizing and brings newfound clarity to our decision-making.

One of the best ways to start improving client boundaries is to set clear expectations upfront. I love the phrase "get curious and get clear." When we learn to implement this phrase, we improve our communication and start to align our client relationships to meet our needs - honoring us and our client. It's a win-win. This is precisely what boundaries and healthy client relationships are all about.

Get Curious

When we first engage with a client, we have a unique opportunity to outline goals, understand needs, and create a clear pathway to a strong and mutually supportive relationship. What’s your client onboarding process? In what ways do you connect with clients and learn from them upfront, so you can ensure you are aligned with their needs and still honoring your own? Focusing on initial conversations can set us up for success and highlight areas where we may need to set some expectations.

Get curious with these questions:

What spells success for you? What would make our engagement/this project a success?
How do you like to work with vendors? What traits do your favorite vendors have?
What challenges have you experienced with previous vendors? Is there anything you would like to see changed?

Get Clear

Clients respond well to clear direction. It's the waffling that gets challenging. Over the years, I've found part of the challenge in "getting clear" is that we often don't take the time to regularly reflect on our own needs (or our team's needs). What do you and your team need? Have you identified clients or projects that are consistently challenging? If so, what traits do these have that you want to ensure are not replicated with others? Can you reflect on a challenging client relationship where someone crossed a boundary? Was there an action or conversation that might have shifted the situation?

Whether it's related to budget, time, or scope creep – the clearer we can be about our needs and our team's needs, the easier it will be to manage the relationship. We create fulfilling and mutually beneficial engagements through clear communication.

Get clear with new clients like this:

Successful relationships for us are defined as XYZ. Does this align with your vision of how you'd like to work with us?
Some of our favorite client relationships are with clients that do XYZ. This makes it easier for our team to serve them because of ABC. Is this something you can do/see your team doing?
Our team is available M-Thr 10-4 pm. Fridays and other times are reserved for team meetings and focused work time. This allows us to service our client's needs and prioritize effectively. We don't take calls or respond to emails during these days or times. Any questions or concerns related to that?

Ready to Get Curious and Get Clear?

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About Woodrie

Woodrie Burich is the owner of the Integration Group and founder of the Boundaries Before Burnout® group coaching program. Her mission is to empower professionals to create sustainable and thriving work lives that enable them to enjoy more, stress less and connect with their communities in positive and meaningful ways. Woodrie has 10 years of experience working in stress management and combines this with over 20 years of expertise in tech as a sales exec and strategic business consult for enterprise organizations and Fortune 500 companies. She has the ability to meet the high demands required in corporate environments while maintaining a solid footing in wellness and stress management.

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