Client relationships

I’m working at the moment on a book with a client.  And it’s been as much a voyage of discovery for me as it has for her.  From the technical aspect I’m developing a way of working through exchange of material via Word documents of course but also audio files. 

I’m finding this speeds up the process remarkably.  I can record my queries, send her the files and get answers back.  I could phone her of course but this way gives her time to mull over the questions and consider the best way to structure the answers.

Any new client is a challenge because even if I’ve worked in their sector before, their business is unique to them.  But with this client it’s also a voyage of discovery in learning about someone experiencing the world in a different way.  She has mental health difficulties and the book is a combination of her experiences and thoughts about the mental health system.

We’re aiming for a very positive book for people to dip into especially if they have a fear of the topic as many do.  Despite the fact that 1 in 4 people will have some episode of mental illness during their life, it’s still seen as a topic to be avoided.

This project is teaching me a great deal about running a project… and getting rid of misconceptions.