Many a business blog focuses on how to recruit new clients and then to re tainthem. But what happens if that paying client turns out to be the biggest pain in a sensitive part of your anatomy? What do you do next?

We are all aware of such stories, from our own experiences or from friends. You just do not want to make the next appointment with ‘that person’. The reasons can vary – they waffle, they smell, they are rude, they do not listen, they do not respond, they talk about irrelevant issues, they complain, they…… and the list is seemingly endless.

You just want to finish the contract, immediately. But what can you do? If you are self-employed, you may harm your reputation. If you are part of a company, you may lose face with your boss.

Now, these thoughts have been whirling in my head for a while, since I took on one of my new clients in Jerusalem last month. Obviously, I do not want to go into detail here, suffice to say that I am not happy.

And just as I was formulating a ‘plan of attack’, I saw something today in my Synagogue that affirmed my line of thought. As the prayers proceeded, four guest congregants appeared; young males, all bitterly physically or mentally restricted. Unaware of the rules of decorum, they would call out or cry out in the middle, unexpectedly. They disturbed the unofficial status quo of normality.

The regulars did not flinch, at least not openly. I suppose we were all patting ourselves on the back, thinking how noble we had been to ‘put up with this’. And this made me think about the parents of these people. How do they cope, day-in and day-out? They cannot afford to give up. They do not have an option.

Now, the parents’ responsibility is far higher morally than my relationship with any client. Yet, I am sure these parents are far better off as individuals for having found a way to rise to these amazing challenges.

And that is my point. At least for now, I intend to carry with ‘that person’. It is my responsibility as a mentor to dig deep and to find a way to help him onwards towards success. Thus, hopefully, I too will benefit, which will impact on other clients downstream.