I've recently started working with a new client. 

It's very different, and the people I'm working with reminded me of a time a couple of years ago when I started working with a very, VERY bright man. He was very different from me in that he saw behaviour change as pulling on levers, he had quite a rational, numbers led approach.  He believed that change should be seen - and if you can't see it, it hasn't happened.  And while thought was all very well, he liked to see plans.

He was challenging for me to deal with on a number of levels - he was highly analytical, even rather cold and often impatient. Initially, I wondered whether we'd get on - rational, numbers-led clients (which often translates to knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing) aren't usually my first choice of working partner.

The relentless drive for evidence caused me to think very hard indeed about how I demonstrated that what I was there to do - in this instance change communication - had value, or in his words "had moved the needle".

After my initial doubts, I began to enjoy myself. This was an assignment where the pleasure and satisfaction I got from my job varied considerably, depending on which day you asked. But the sheer challenge of working on a project where to had to evidence what value I added and where I was dealing - frankly - with a no-nonsense bunch of engineers rather than people who "got" what I did - was rather exhilarating.

I was at first gasping in shock at the cold water of a technical project where almost everything from the acronyms to the priorities people had, were unfamiliar.  But after a short time, I got used to the temperature, partly helped by forcing myself to concentrate on what I could do, rather than what I couldn't.

Remembering this experience has also reminded me that doing much the same kind of work can cause you to become lazy.  Attempting something you can't quite do, with people you don't quite like may not be comfortable - but by god, it kick starts the grey matter.