Every Three Months — Starting When?

The story: We'll pay every three months. Deal. Handshake. A few days later, she gets a call: why haven't you paid yet? You said every three months. Yes — but pre-paid! He meant payment in advance at the start of each quarter. She meant payment in arrears at the end. The frequency was agreed. The direction of cash flow was not.

What it means for organisations: "Quarterly" is treated as a complete answer when it's only half of one. Payment terms, reporting cycles, review cadences — the frequency is the easy part to agree on. The harder question is when the clock starts, what triggers it, and which side of the period the obligation falls on. When two parties agree on a rhythm without agreeing on the starting beat, the first missed expectation doesn't feel like a misunderstanding. It feels like a breach of trust.