DEVELOPMENT SERVER
Rules to Happy Clients

It's sometimes said that it's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to seek permission. 

The trouble is that the above is predicated on the notion that you're doing something wrong and are happy spending time putting out fires that needn't have been lit.
 
Let's see how to live without stomach ulcers...

Figure: Get work approved and spend less time putting out fires

The solution is to get permission for the work you do before you do it. Get permission verbally, confirmed in writing by email or with a signature (although that's sometimes a whole lot harder).

Always get permission for:

• Additional Items
• Exceed estimates
• Data migration procedures

Having said that you need to manage two potential probems with seeking permission on work before acting:

• Increased dead time while waiting for approval
• Discouraging initiative to fix problems fast

These problems are naturally solved through the continual refinement of what can and can't be done without approval. Different clients will have different standards depending on the type of project. From a time perspective the rule of thumb is never spend more than one hour without approval.

This rule is not generally applicable if you are working on an ad hoc basis on a client managed project OR if the task is an obvious task which you would reasonably assume the client would approve and is not likely to take more than half an hour.