This post is part of our Weekly-ish Tips series.
Today I offer up three more for the anthology:
First, there was the banner week when I confessed a bunch of stuff, like dropping the ball on writing a Weekly tip, admitting to a client I had been out of touch so long I had completely missed a recent and important promotion, and failing to follow my own advice about forgetting someone’s name. If you want the bottom-line lessons without having to click through, here they are:
Then there was the time I didn’t follow my own advice about making annual client reach-outs truly personal. Helpful reminders from that incident: (1) it’s 1,000 times easier it is if you make—and keep—a personal connection from the get-go, and (2) confessing at least gets you back in integrity with yourself, if not with your relationship.
Finally, there was the day I sent an indignant and self-righteous email to someone who was negotiating a speaking fee on my behalf. A few key takeaways from that debacle:
Ah, the joys of being human.
This week, consider those who have been your best teachers in life—not the easiest teachers, the best ones. You’ll likely find them by reflecting on your own high horse adventures, or times you’ve been otherwise triggered. What valuable lessons can you (re)learn?
Refresh on why blame is anathema to both trust and good management, from our friends at Trusted Advisor Associates, or brush up on ten common partnering barriers in Chapter 7 of The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook.