Flight Notes

When little things bother me, I just hope to hear someone I trust say these three words,

“As you wish.”

That phrase reminds me of the reliable, glad-to-be-of-service attitude of Wesley in the Princess Bride. It reassures me that someone is fixing my problem. I naturally trust someone who can solve the little annoyances and pet peeves that can upset my day. It lets me know two things about that person.

First, they know me well enough to identify the little problems that get under my skin. Second, they care enough to do something about it. They are willing to go beyond the big problems I’m facing, and tackle the little annoyances to just make my day a little better.

Architects who take on this role are investing in long term client relationships. When we take care of the little things for our clients, they can then trust us with bigger problems. Will Guidara shares how "Small acts of generosity can create outsized impact" in his book Unreasonable Hospitality. (A few years ago, I had the joy of interviewing him with Jeff Echols in this Context & Clarity Episode.)

Solving the small problems is sometimes more meaningful to our clients than our main professional services. This requires personal insight. Imagine the annoyance of a leaking faucet or running toilet. The noise is a small bother but the long term cost is seen in the water bill or worse, as water damage. Fixing that leaky faucet today also avoids a future flood of problems.

At a certain point, architects can anticipate their client’s needs. During one of my monthly client meetings, one person always asks how something fits into the larger budget or if a decision will impact the date of substantial completion. I've recognized this trend. Before each meeting, I prepare to have that answer readily available. While budget and timeline are core elements of a project, sometimes a client gets stuck on something that doesn’t need to be discussed at every meeting. Frankly, these topics can derail the whole conversation. The topic may not be critical to the project but it is top of mind for that client. When I address these items first, then the meeting can move onto new challenges that surface each week. Remembering a client’s priorities and preferences is a long-term investment in that relationship.

Sometimes the client’s concerns may not even be related to the project. It could be as primal as hunger. Several years ago, I co-chaired a committee that had 7:30 am meetings for emerging professionals. I decided to bring fresh baked scones each month. I reasoned that if anyone woke up to attend this meeting, they deserved a fresh baked goodie! So I woke up even earlier to get that done, which also jumpstarted my brain for our meetings. We grew, had great conversations, and accomplished amazing things during those years! We started doing firm tours, presenting at conferences, and hosting early career skills events. Did all of this happen because of the scones? No. But it didn’t hurt. And on early mornings, when committee members were just waking up and trying to decide whether they should sleep in or show up - they knew I was already up and preparing for our meeting. I was investing in them and they just needed to show up.

And as a sole practitioner, I can only do this for so many people. So I need to carefully select which relationships I invest in. I look for non-profits, historical societies, other architects, contractors, and community leaders who align with my mission. These are the people I go above and beyond for. “Doing business” with them isn't just a transaction, I’m there to make their lives, projects, and communities better.

Working with people who align with my values is its own reward. It fills my work day with little side conversations that resonate with my deeper values. We share a dream of building communities by revitalizing existing buildings. When our bigger vision aligns, we jump straight to the point in every conversation. We don’t get derailed by topics that aren’t relevant to the project goals or personal priorities.

That doesn’t mean it's all business, all the time. It just allows me to bring my whole self, my best efforts, to clients and collaborators I trust. Brené Brown reminds us that “Trust is built in very small moments.” So take a moment to think about the small things: a graphic for a project fundraiser; fresh baked goodies for a meeting; gathering initial information from local officials for a potential project site; or a personal card for birthdays or graduations. In our digital world, it doesn’t take much to add a personal touch in our relationships. Great clients deserve to feel as great too!

Keep Flying! Katie Kangas

Flying Solo Podcast

Listen to the full interview with Meghan Elliot of New History on Flying Solo Episode 21 | Meghan Elliot (Oxpecker).

And check out Meghan Elliott on LinkedIN. Her firm, New History is @newhistoryconsultants on Instagram or look at their website. Learn more about Jillpine development on their website.

​Check out the Flying Solo Podcast on your favorite platform.​

​Alli's Journey​

Perched on the back of a much larger animal, an oxpecker pays close attention. It removes the irritating gnats and ticks to keep its host healthy. It doesn’t lead the herd, but it serves an essential role. Without the oxpecker, small pests compound into damaging diseases that could kill members of the herd.

Providing a professional service is simply removing pesky problems for our clients. At our best, we go beyond delivering a final product; we can support the perpetual health of our client’s business, home, or life. This symbiotic partnership requires trust and alignment.

How do you find clients you can trust and align with your values?

Meghan Elliot found her clients by solving the ‘extras’ on difficult projects. She works with historic buildings that keep the history of a community alive and growing. As a structural engineer, she readily did her part on projects. But time and again there would be roadblocks in financing or historic review procedures. She decided to build her business, New History, around a smoother process. She didn’t want the roadblocks to stop her clients from rehabilitating and restoring historic properties. She assembled an elite team of diverse professionals who saw a similar vision and together they help clients: design, apply for grants, navigate tax credits, apply for the National Register of Historic Places, comply with historic guidelines, stabilize buildings, and much more.

Only a few of those are ‘core’ professional services. The others are all the pesky parts of the process that a building owner typically needs to learn and navigate. But Meghan is building a stronger symbiotic partnership where she helps clients achieve their end goal in a timely manner. Through her experience she can anticipate and resolve those hiccups before they derail a project.

Meghan finds clients who have a clear goal and a deeper purpose that requires a variety of professional services. Meghan shares their goal. She connects with those clients through educational opportunities. Her firm also advocates for historic preservation publicly through articles and local government.

The oxpecker can be a terrific marketing model when your clients have complex projects. It can be easy to go beyond providing a professional service and become a collaborating - a professional partner who shares their vision. And together, make the world a little bit better place.

It starts by taking care of the little things that we know annoy the clients we care about. And when they ask for something, we get to respond “as you wish.”

Winged Wisdom

Meghan Elliot

​​Flying Solo Episode 21 | Meghan Elliot (Oxpecker)​​

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