How You Can Improve Your Impact in the Marketplace and Everyplace

How You Can Improve Your Impact in the Marketplace and Everyplace

If I asked you, “What do you value most in people?” What would your response be?  Perhaps you would respond with words like honesty or integrity or _________ (you can fill in the blank).  Then, if I asked you, “Why are those qualities important?” What would you say? Perhaps you would respond with something like “Life is more pleasant and more productive when you are dealing with this kind of person.” 

If you said something like that you would be right. The marketplace, home and social circles really do function best when we living out what Ben Franklin called “virtue.”  Franklin had a list of virtues that he wrote down and carried with him.  He referred to them at the Continental Congress, when negotiating a business deal, while working on an invention and even when flying kites in a thunder storms.  (Obviously one of his virtues was not “avoid lightening”.) 

Q. Why did he always carry a copy with him?

A. Because it was not his natural bent to be virtuous. 

Naturally, we are all self serving, selfish and prideful or what my wife calls “globe heads” (those who live life believing that they are the center of the universe - and that all things revolve around them.)  Whether you practice Franklin’s virtues, Gundlach’s virtues or write your own, the marketplace and everyplace will truly be a better place if we act with high merit.

What’s the Big Deal?

What’s the Big Deal?

Not apologizing, beyond lacking integrity, can cause you big problems and create strife within your organization.  The big deal is that if you don’t apologize you run the risk of loosing the relationship. Also, by not apologizing you run the risk of creating an enemy who will likely undercut you at every turn.  In addition, if you do not apologize correctly you run the risk of starting an argument and digging an even bigger hole for yourself.  So take the baby steps seriously…they are important.

While “Love means never having to say you are sorry” is a sorry concept, living does offer numerous opportunities for us to correct our blunders.  Oh, I just remembered, I did something to someone that I need to apologize for.   I’ve got to go.  How about you? 

Move on

15.  Move on 

Now it’s time to move forward.  Avoid the human tendency to play things over in your head again and again.  Don’t beat yourself up.  It’s over.  Now act like it. 
(To be continued.)