A few months ago, I wrote about having consulted with a company that conducts workshops. It was selecting a new, updated color palette for its classroom. In that initial conversation, they stated that gray was ‘trendy’ and wanted that color for the refresh. However, I suggested what – from my perspective – was a better palette for the specific use and location of that room.
I was eager to see how this played out. I was disappointed to hear they went ahead and painted the room ‘a trendy’ gray – a very light, white gray. My initial reaction was one of righteous indignation! “How dare they not do as I suggested.” So, what does one do when your advice is not followed? Well after some reflection, I realized that my contribution of advice was complete when the consulting appointment ended. I pondered if I was having a control issue; after all, shouldn’t they do what I said? The answer to that is NO; I needed to breathe.
So, imagine my surprise and delight when I entered that same room last Saturday and saw the client had – in fact – painted it exactly as I recommended. And by ‘living in that space’ for the first time, my vision for changing the mood of the room had been validated. I was grateful for having had the chance to offer my creative vision, thrilled to see it executed, and to experience it as a student of the workshop. In conclusion I would offer the following: don’t listen to rumors; follow your gut when your vision bucks a trend; don’t get upset if a client doesn’t follow your advice; and, bask in the glow of seeing your vision come to life exactly as you had ‘envisioned’ it.