Imagine this. You’re in the middle of a video call with a client. The project is moving along smoothly when suddenly, the client asks for just one little tweak. Maybe it’s an additional feature, a small extra report, or a slight modification to the original plan.
It sounds harmless, right? Just a small favour. But here’s the thing, this is the moment where scope creep sneaks in like a silent thief. One tiny request turns into another, and before you know it, your team is working extra hours, resources are stretched thin, and your profit margins start disappearing into the void.
Now, let’s talk about someone who never lets that happen – Let’s call him Alex.
Alex isn’t a lawyer. He’s an IT and engineering professional working in a team full of techies. Contracts and legal jargon isn’t really his thing. But here’s what sets Alex apart: he understands exactly what falls inside and outside the statement of work for each of his clients.
He knows that if a client asks for X, he’s responsible for it. If they ask for Y, that’s outside the agreement and needs approval. He’s not flipping through 50-page contracts every time a client emails him, he doesn’t need to. Because his company has a standout contract management system, including a simple, clear, crib sheet.
This crib sheet isn’t some dense legal document. It’s a straightforward guide in plain English that tells Alex and his team:
✅ What’s included in the contract
❌ What’s out of scope
⚠️ What needs escalation to management
So, when a client asks, “Hey Alex, can you just add this extra little feature really quickly?” he knows exactly what to do. He doesn’t have to guess. He doesn’t have to scroll through endless legal jargon-filled paperwork. He simply checks the crib sheet, sees that the request falls outside the agreed scope, and politely says:
“That’s something I’ll need to escalate. Let me check with my team and get back to you.”
Boom. No awkwardness. No uncertainty. No accidental free work.
The Power of the Crib Sheet
This is exactly the kind of tool Kiera Greenslade, a commercial law expert, talks about on The Hybrid Legal Loop. She’s worked with agencies that have been burned by scope creep, losing time and money on unplanned work. And her advice? Arm your team with a crib sheet.
- Break down the contract into easy-to-understand sections.
- Highlight the red flags (hard no’s), amber warnings (areas needing approval), and green lights (things staff can do without hesitation).
- Make sure employees know when to escalate a request so scope creep is caught before it becomes a problem.
Without this kind of internal training, teams can fall into the trap of thinking, It’s just a small ask – let’s do it to keep the client happy. But that’s how projects spiral out of control. A crib sheet protects both the company and the team from being stretched too thin.
The lesson? Be like Alex.
Alex isn’t a lawyer, and he doesn’t need to be. But he knows the parts of the contract that affect his job. That’s what makes him so good at avoiding scope creep and keeping projects on track.
And if you want your team to have that same confidence, a crib sheet is your secret weapon.
Ryan has helped a vast number of businesses protect and control their intellectual property as well as drafting and advising on consumer and commercial contracts.
