I had a situation come up the other day that was really eating at me. It was one of those deals in which someone had wronged me, and I felt the need to make sure they knew they had wronged me.
I wanted to send a nasty email or just pick up the phone and rip into them. Of course I would be diplomatic about it, but they needed to know they screwed up.
But like you should always do, I took some time to cool down before firing off an email or making a phone call I’d later regret.
I called a friend who was familiar with the situation and had a similar problem with the same people, and he gave me some great advice. The nutshell of what he said was this…
Are you doing it for justice or for ego?
Wow.
Truth be told, I wanted it to be about justice, but realistically, it was more about my ego. It was more about proving them wrong, so that I could be proved right.
And in the end…it wasn’t worth it.
I didn’t send an email. I didn’t make a phone call. I just let it die.
Don’t get me wrong…I’m all for justice and not letting people walk all over you, but at some point, you have to draw the line in the sand.
Your reputation and integrity are more important than sending that email you’ll later regret.
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2 Comments
Excellent post – and excellent wisdom in handling this situation. Figure this out now and you will save yourself lots of heartburn down the road.
Hmm… I really like this Grant. It will cause me to think twice next time. Great advice from your friend.