Failing To Take Responsibility; Conclusion - Cisco RJ-45-to-AUX Brochure

Failing to Take Responsibility

If you realize that you failed to contract an item, you should absorb the cost if it is small. No one feels more
nickeled and dimed than a person who has hired a consultant, when the consultant says he forgot to add a
cable and will be charging another $10 five times. You can absorb small costs into the 10 percent padding I
discussed earlier. If it is a large charge, debate notifying the customer. If it is too large to absorb, explain to
the customer that you are at fault for not realizing you needed the part, and that you need to add an additional
charge. Doing this more than once can be hazardous to your client/consultant relationship—just a helpful hint.
You will leave resentment in the customer's mind if you try to blame him by telling him he did not tell you he
needed a particular component. The customer is not the professional who needed to realize he needed
something—you are.

Conclusion

As a consultant, you must remember to manage your time and yourself. You are your own project manager. In
fact, not only are you the project manager, you are the employee who is going to do the work. You'll probably
make many mistakes in the beginning—but, I hope, none that can't be overcome. I'll leave you with one last
quote that I like: "Experience is a tough teacher. You get the test first; then you're going to learn the lesson." I
am not sure who wrote it, but it sure does make a good point.
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