One of the more enjoyable longer-term contracts I've had is beginning to wind down, which has gotten me thinking about the whole notion of "letting go" of clients.
When I look back at the clients I've worked with over the last year that I've been in business, what I see is a long list of people I grown to like and appreciate -- and organizations about which I care. And while I may be closing the door on a piece of work, I'm not sure I'll ever be in the business of ending my relationship with clients.
For more than a decade, my clients were internal. We all worked for the same company. Essentially, none of us ever went anywhere and, over time, our relationships ebbed and flowed.
Today, I wonder at the lack of closure that created. Projects rarely ended, they tended to fade away -- or transition into different projects.
I've also started mulling over some ideas for my own business -- like, for starters, ways to create closure with clients as I wrap up a strategic plan or finish a facilitation project. I think it's important for my clients to know how much of an impact they've made on me, and for all of us to acknowledge the end of an important chapter of good work.