What is scope creep? How does it show up, and how does it affect all of us?
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Today, we are talking about one of those things that is essential to identify, mitigate and communicate… scope creep.
Scope creep is a term that is commonly used in project management type of work.
Have you ever experienced the following?
You love your job, you feel called to do this work, and you know that you add tremendous value. You are in your zone. Things are going well, and the client suddenly starts asking you to do things that weren’t in your initial contact. What you had planned on taking10 hours a week is not taking you 17. It’s still working out but it is more than you expected. Then you pick up a few more hours to cover from a team member who unexpectedly left, taking you up to 22 hours (remember, initially you signed up for about 10.) This is your ideal client, but you are finding it hard to serve your other clients. When you stop to feel what is going on, you are stressed and discouraged, and you wonder how you got to this point. Now, you are people pleasing and you are exhausted but you keep on giving and giving which is really cutting into your life. You can’t keep going on like this, but you don’t know how to have the conversation to reset expectations.
Service providers often experience this situation.
What is Scope Creep?
Scope is the requirements and expectations of a role, relationship or a project. You likely see this in the discipline of project management.
Scope creep is when that scope continues to grow and change as the project is carried out. Most commonly, scope creep happens organically over time, and it’s not planned. The main reason it occurs is that requirements change once a role starts.
Another reason scope creep happens is lack of communication. This is where asking good questions at the beginning and being a really good steward of project planning comes in.
“If you don’t gather all the specifications from the beginning, the plan is faulty.”
Join us for our upcoming training as we are going to walk through very specific ways to solve scope creep. You will have homework assignments every single day of this 5 day training. We are going to help you reset your own expectations of yourself, get clear, and break the patterns that have been plaguing you. We are going to help set you up for success. Sign up, and get your workbook to use as a resource!
“You are going to have to be the one to limit [scope creep]… you’re the only one who can.”
How Scope Creep Affects You
Scope creep keeps someone from moving forward to their next best self. It can be really painful and I want you to avoid it. When you do, you will have solid, thriving, better client relationships. When the relationships are thriving, you get to elevate and do your best work, you become a strategic partner, and you are able to lead businesses. The key is to avoid scope creep.
Also, when you have solid client relationships the outcomes for the clent are better. You are communicating effectively to the client and vice versa. Then you can set appropriate goals and exceed them.
“Your next best self is around the corner.”
When you can remove scope creep there is less stress in your business life which translates to better mental and physical health for you personally. When they work synergistically, there is greater fulfillment all around. When we are more fulfilled, we give our greatest self. Even though scope creep happens in a business situation, it always seeps into your personal life.
Stress does not have boundaries, and when you have stress in your business, your family suffers. We should do everything we can to be our best so we can serve our families and our future selves. Controlling scope creep will translate into your personal priorities. Knowing how to get away from scope creep will help you in your personal life.
Avoiding Scope Creep
The big question I often get asked is how to avoid scope creep.
- Before you get into a project or relationship, ask yourself if that client is good for you. Do you share values? Have you shared your boundaries?
- Communicate your expectations. You need to be personally clear on them before you can communicate them effectively.
- Understand the requirements of the project before sending the contract.
- Know what triggers to look for when it comes to scope creep. Understand your patterns, and know how to have the conversation when you see it coming.
These are the types of things we will cover in the Scope Creep Solution.
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