3 Tips for Shrinking Expectations Canyon

Expectations Canyon is that place between a grant writer's expectations for how a project should progress and a client's idea of how a project should progress. Sometimes is as big as the Grand Canyon and other times it's as small as the little holding pond across town from my house, but it's always there. The smaller that gap is, the easier the project will go.

Organizations that hire a grant writer usually have the mistaken belief that they have hired someone to do it all so they don't have to do any more work, which is not the case at all. Grant writers often hold the mistaken belief that every client will assume responsibility for the project and stay involved, providing all the information and support necessary. Can you see the canyon now?

Here are some tips for minimizing the gap:

 Make sure that all roles and responsibilities are in writing.  Don't assume that just because you talked about something that anyone will remember it, especially if it gives them a task.

 Include a timeline in your responsibilities document.  Some tasks can't be completed until other have been completed first. You'll save a lot of time if these are identified right away.

Communicate often.  Even if everything is going well, make sure you touch base frequently to review exactly where you both are on the responsibility list.

If you follow these simple tips, Expectations Canyon will shrink to a manageable size and you'll be walking together toward success.