When their team is struggling competitively, Ted Lasso and Coach Beard decide to implement a new paradigm (total football). The three regular fans heckle them at the pub. Ted responds by inviting them to watch them train. Then they say the following lines.
Coach Beard: “Coach, you sure it’s smart to invite fans to our practices?”
Ted: “It’s their team. We’re just borrowing it for a little while.”
I thought this was a humble and smart way to approach their relationship to the team. It’s also a responsible way to approach work with clients. You might be designing and building a thing, and they’ll have to continue building it and maintain it or hire someone else to. If you’re lucky, you get to go beyond the product work and collaborate to shape the culture of the team and the strategy for what they’re doing. And they carry on after you. Think about setting them up for success.