Yep, it happened to me…

In my former corporate life, we always had a team culture. That’s the way it always was. I was fortunate to work for one of the best Fortune 100 companies out there today. I guess I was spoiled.

I recently took on a new client and made the mistake of thinking we were a team. I found out very differently, that instead of a team, I was considered a thieving slave that should be grateful for every scrap he threw my way. 

This was my very recent experience with an unprofessional owner of a small company with illusions of grandeur, and it surprised me. Being in the HR field, I had assumed there would be a high degree of professionalism.

I should have known better.

A learning moment showed me this organization is in the business of fostering distrust of employees by employers. This is due to the service they sell.

Looks like they drank too much of their own KoolAid.

Going in I intended to do what I always do, everything I possibly can to ensure the client’s success. I didn’t know that being concerned about your client and making them aware of the potential pitfalls of a decision was a huge no-no.

It got me fired.

In hindsight, I’m grateful. I feel like I dodged a bullet and am not surprised that he can’t find a writer.

One thing about being a freelancer. Every day brings a new learning curve. There is always someone out there that teaches you something. Sometimes those are lessons you’d rather not learn.

Don’t Start a Business Relationship with an Attitude of Mistrust

Starting a relationship with another business with an attitude of distrust, and make no mistake a freelancer is a business, is just a fundamentally bad idea. It ensures that you will fail at finding the freelancer you so desire.

If you enter into a business relationship with an attitude of mistrust, it will only lead to bad business decisions and ultimately failure.

It is essential to take the time to find the right freelancer that fits your needs and build a strong relationship based on trust. This will help ensure that your project runs smoothly and that you have a successful outcome.

When you trust your freelancer, it will be easier to communicate and collaborate effectively on projects, leading to better outcomes for both parties.

Don’t Switch Gears

Start a relationship with your freelancer as you plan to continue. If you start with a freelancer hired to work hourly for your company, stay that way. Suddenly stopping and saying, “hey, I want to involve a third-party platform,” when you are already weeks into your arrangement with your freelancer says…

”I don’t trust you.”

Yes, this happened to me, and I hadn’t even sent them the first billing yet.

This will create mistrust between you and the freelancer and leads to delays or even failure in completing the project because, at this point, your freelancer doesn’t want to work with you anymore.

It is important for both parties to agree on the scope of work before starting a relationship. Once agreed upon, make sure that you don’t switch gears during the course of your project. This will ensure that both parties are on the same page and will help build trust between them.

Trust Your Freelancer

Having trust in your freelancer is essential to get the best out of your collaboration. When you build trust with your freelancer, it encourages them to deliver high-quality work (lowering your costs) and inspires them to go the extra mile for you.

Trust is a two-way street: when you trust your freelancer, they will be more likely to trust you as well. This will also help you get the most out of your investment in their services.

Here are some of the key benefits of doing so:

• You have an increased chance of receiving a quality product or service
• Freelancer is more likely to meet deadlines and complete projects on time without causing any extra cost for you
• Freelancer will be able to provide insight into their process in order to improve their overall performance as a professional
• Your trust will increase morale and satisfaction which will have a positive impact on your business

Building a partnership based on trust

Trust can be won…or lost in an instant.

I believe trust isn’t just about taking time to build it, but it can grow and strengthen at a moment’s notice. In my experience, trust between you and your freelancer can be created in an instant when someone comes to the rescue during difficult times with a creative solution.

While it might not seem like much, slowly eroding your relationship through small mistakes can have a serious impact on how your freelancer perceives you. Even though the errors may be minor and individually forgivable, their accumulation can lead to an overall negative impression.

Trust is key and must be nurtured in order to ensure a successful professional relationship. It may take time to build but always requires constant effort to maintain.

The trust between an unprejudiced and fair-minded client and a conscientious, scrupulous freelancer, can nourish a truly outstanding professional relationship.

Why Time Tracking is Bad

Nothing says to a freelancer, “I don’t trust you,” more than asking them to punch a time clock.

I don’t know a single freelancer that goes into business for themselves, to punch somebody else’s time clock.

It’s just plain insulting.

Good Lord, I stopped punching time clocks when I quit my last waitress job at 19 and that’s been more decades ago than I really care to admit.

It has negative consequences on trust and productivity, and it can lead to feelings of being micromanaged. Let’s explore the reasons why time tracking is bad and how it can affect freelancers.

Time Tracking is Bad for Trust and Productivity

Freelancers are often independent contractors who must handle a variety of tasks to complete a project. As an independent contractor, it is important to trust the client and be able to rely on them, which a freelancer cannot do if the client has access to every second of your time.

• Feel micromanaged by their clients.
• Leads to burnout, as freelancers may feel like they are constantly under pressure to meet deadlines and complete tasks within a certain time frame.
• Causes feelings of resentment towards clients if they are not satisfied with the amount of time spent on a project.
• Leads to decreased motivation due to the feeling that every minute needs to be accounted for.

Motivating freelancers with an emphasis on monitoring working hours is not effective. Freelancers prefer a level of autonomy and trust in order to stay motivated. Imposing a strict timeline for completing tasks can make them feel like they are being watched or treated like kids.

Although time tracking may seem like a good idea, it doesn’t offer you any value. You don’t give a rip about how long your freelancer worked on a project, their hourly rate, or the hours they have invested into it. Ultimately, you care about results, and if you’re not satisfied with what your freelancer is producing, then time-tracking won’t matter much.

Conclusion

As a business owner, it can be easy to fall into the trap of mistrusting your freelancer. You may think that they are not doing their job properly, or that they are not as reliable as you would like them to be.

However, if you don’t trust your freelancer and sabotage them with unwarranted distrust, you are doing more harm than good. If you don’t practice trust, you risk sabotaging not only your freelancer but the entire project.

If you’re looking for a reliable, trustworthy freelance writer to help you with your career or SaaS/PaaS writing. Wander over to my website to learn more about me.

Further reading:

How to Trust the Work of a Freelancer You’ve Never Worked With Before