What I’ve learned about trust from cleaning up my messes

This post is part of our Weekly Tips series.

I hate it when I screw stuff up, especially when it comes to relationships.

I once sent a not-so-nice email to a colleague I’ll call Randy. I did it after I got a fervent complaint from a new client about him. Randy was negotiating a speaking fee on my behalf and, from the client’s perspective, took a firm stand in a way that did not go over well. The client said something triggering for me: “Randy could stand to learn from you about doing business in a trustworthy way.” Cue the entrance of my high horse.