I’ve had this happen too, and it taught me not to treat a detailed brief as the full picture. I usually ask, “What problem are we actually solving?” and “What would make this project feel successful to you?” A friend once delivered exactly what was requested, only to discover the client’s real priority was saving their team hours every week. That stuck with me. I found some useful relationship-focused ideas on Nathan Garries financial planning , especially around listening. Since then, I always dig for the “why” before starting.
I’ve had this happen too, and it taught me not to treat a detailed brief as the full picture. I usually ask, “What problem are we actually solving?” and “What would make this project feel successful to you?” A friend once delivered exactly what was requested, only to discover the client’s real priority was saving their team hours every week. That stuck with me. I found some useful relationship-focused ideas on Nathan Garries financial planning , especially around listening. Since then, I always dig for the “why” before starting.
