Madam, we’ve already established that.
Perhaps you’ve heard this possibly-true story before? British statesman and Prime Minister Winston Churchill, noted for his wit, at a party, talking with a socialite:
Churchill: Madam, would you sleep with me for five million pounds?
Socialite: My goodness, Mr. Churchill! Well, I suppose – we would have to discuss terms, naturally.
Churchill: Would you sleep with me for five pounds?
Socialite: Mr. Churchill, what kind of woman do you think I am?!
Churchill: Madam, we’ve already established that. Now we are haggling about the price.
As a business owner, there’s one thing I like about this recession. Just one, I think. And that one thing is this: during “challenging times” (gotta love that phrase) people show you who they are. (And now we are just haggling about the price.) I like to take advantage of these moments of exposure. When people show me who they are, they’re doing me a favor, albeit unwittingly. Here’s a fab-u-lous opportunity to learn who I’m dealing with, and to determine how (and whether) to deal with that person again. In some cases, the phrase “it’ll be a dark day in hell” flashes like neon in front of my brain when thinking about re-engaging with a person. In others, I find a new friend or mentor.
Quiz: Does your boss/client/spouse/”friend” crush you beneath her heel when she finds herself in control? BAD SIGN!
Carefully observe…
The way very privileged people treat service personnel – the best people treat others the best, do they not? – the way employees treat their boss when raises fail to appear or life is crappy (I consider the French trend of holding the boss hostage when he lays you off to be in poor taste, for example), the rabid way Newt Gingrich behaves in the face of a popular Obama administration, and the way partners and spouses treat each other when the pressure is on… these actions and attitudes can all be taken seriously.
Me? I’m really trying to be nice… especially after I hit the “publish” button today!
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April 23rd, 2009 at 7:11 am
In the 1990s, when the organization I was working for was going through downsizing my boss, who enjoyed dramatic language, said that people “act like sharks when there is blood in the water.” People who were previously easy-going were aggressively vying for positions and influence. The good news – although my group was responsible for budget cuts and layoffs affecting hundreds of people, he set a tone of decency toward people. Now that I’m self-employed I’ve met people who were laid off during those years and re-surfaced in a variety of good places who greet me with a friendly “hey, you laid me off.” Decency is possible!
October 5th, 2009 at 4:52 am
А если посмотреть на это с другой точки зрения то не все так гладко получается
October 5th, 2009 at 9:04 am
… I translated the previous comment from Russian to English: “And, from another point of view, things do not always turn out smoothly.”
True.
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The moral of this story is be guided by people who know what they are doing
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