How you respond matters

How you respond matters

Very recently I wrote that I measure customer service by how a given company reacts to a problem. I'm impressed when a company takes ownership of a problem and seeks a mutually agreeable solution, rather than trying to make excuses or shift blame.

The same attitude can (and should!) be applied to all of our daily interactions at both a personal and business level. How you respond to something is what matters most.

For example, a client of mine recently lost a key staff person who plays a fairly critical role on a project with a quickly-approaching delivery deadline. Rather than get upset or whine about how unfair this is, or try to cajole or beg the staff person to stay, my client immediately contacted a temp agency and began the work of filling the role for both the short-term and the long-term. Sure, it's a stumble, but it won't be a fall, because she reacted quickly and affirmatively.

Life always throws us curveballs. As Mike Tyson famously said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Even the best-laid plans will go awry at some point. And it's at that point that what matters most is how you react and respond to those curveballs and punches.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

"Experience is unobservable to everyone except the person who it happens to."

January 10, 2019

In Dan Gilbert’s book Stumbling on Happiness, he writes: “Experience is unobservable to everyone except […]

Know Your Audience Before You Speak

December 20, 2018

This one may seem obvious, but when you’re speaking to anyone, whether it’s one person, […]

"Behavior is a function of the person in their environment."

December 13, 2018

Lewin’s equation says “behavior is a function of the person in their environment.” (He was […]

Signal-to-noise ratio

December 5, 2018

Signal-to-noise ratio Signal-to-noise ratio, formally used, applies to electricity and engineering, and refers to how […]

Consultants bring perspective

November 28, 2018

Consultants bring perspective At a recent speaking engagement, I was asked what I think is […]

Garbage in, gospel out

November 22, 2018

Garbage in, gospel out We’ve all heard the phrase “Garbage in, garbage out.” If the […]

Dramatic change does not happen overnight

November 15, 2018

Dramatic change does not happen overnight Like most things in life, dramatic change does not […]

Implementation Intention

November 8, 2018

Implementation Intention Editor’s note: I have a new email newsletter, sent weekly, called Wes’s Wednesday […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top