Have you ever been in the middle of a particularly difficult project and wondered, “Why didn’t we know this was going to be an issue?” Or perhaps you’ve been blindsided, thinking you had agreement on an important aspect of a project, only to learn that you definitely did not.
While it’s not always a comfortable conversation, addressing potential issues at the beginning of a project can help you avoid these types of situations.
Here are four questions to ask before jumping into a contract for a building project with a church:
1. Ask about your client’s history with building projects.
Ava Abramowitz, author of Architect’s Essentials of Negotiation, wisely writes: “Know your client’s history with architecture, because that history is going to become your present.”
Jon Tyson for unsplash.com.
“If your client has worked with architects [or designers] before, and thought them all incompetent, it is unlikely your judgment will be trusted. If your client loved working with architects [or designers] and thinks they can do no wrong, then you are just as challenged,” shares Abramowitz.
“Know your client’s history with architecture, because that history is going to become your present.” Ava Abramowitz, author of Architect’s Essentials of Negotiation
Taking time to learn about your client’s past experience can go a long way towards helping you understand how they will interact with you throughout the project. It also allows you to tap into your own past experience to determine the best way to structure the process.
2. Ask about your client’s leadership structure.
Have you ever been given direction by a client, only to learn later that the person you’ve been interacting with has no authority to make decisions? Or have you ever assumed the person with the title was in charge, only to realize that there was another person calling the shots?
Asking about the decision-making structure and asking the team to document it (and then follow it) is an art form.
Churches can have vastly different leadership structures, and decision-making authority isn’t always straightforward. For example, a senior pastor may appoint his leadership team to make all the decisions, but in practice, the leadership team may keep deferring to the pastor, leaving decisions unclear. (Conversely, an elder-led church may actually be directed by a senior pastor.)
Asking about the decision-making structure and asking the team to document it (and then follow it) is an art form. But it will cost you if you don’t have clarity on this before the project starts.
3. Ask about your client’s values and how they impact trade-offs.
Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism writes, “It’s easy to see why it’s so tempting to deny the reality of trade-offs. After all, by definition, a trade-off involves two things we want…Obviously, when faced with the choice between two things we want, the preferred answer is yes to both. But as much as we’d like to, we simply cannot have it all.”
With unlimited budgets, every priority can be accommodated. But no one works with unlimited budgets, which means decisions are going to have to be made between options. Having a clear understanding of your client’s values up front will help you and your client navigate the hard choices that have to be made.
4. Ask about your client’s financial picture.
We still hear about design firms who get really far along in the design of projects that churches will never be able to pay for.
"With the funding source secured in ample time, the emotional drama of the project lessens dramatically...." Brad Leeper, Principal, Generis, Atlanta, GA
Brad Leeper, principal at a generosity consultant called Generis, shares, “Clients often get excited about the benefits of the project while under-estimating the financial costs. Annual budgets typically fail to include capital investments, with cash reserves not usually accessible for the project. Often, staff will move forward without alignment with senior staff or board. Asking about how firm the budget numbers are, if funds are available now, how much time is needed to get the funds, and if the senior leadership is in agreement around the funding are all quite reasonable questions.”
Leeper continues, “Helping the buyer to understand the source of their funds early in the process will serve them and you well. With the funding source secured in ample time, the emotional drama of the project lessens dramatically, allowing better decision making by the buyer and a better result in your service to them.”
Asking questions up front not only benefits your client, it benefits you.
It can be easy for designers to get caught up in the inspiration of working with a client without asking questions that might uncover uncomfortable answers, but it’s better to have the hard conversations on the front end of a project. Finding out in the middle of the project that you are misaligned on any of the topics discussed here can be a tough situation to navigate, for both you and your client. Don’t be afraid to ask all the questions you need to, in order to ensure that you’re both on the same page.
[Editor's note: This piece was originally published in April 2019.]
