Respect and Trust

My best friend and his wife are renovating their basement. The project started a couple of months ago and it’s been quite an adventure to watch. We talked about his search for a trustworthy crew. As luck would have it, a former high school buddy does home renovations for a living and is doing a great job on the basement.

When we think of certain industries, we often begin from a place of mistrust because someone we know had a bad experience with a lawyer. You got ripped off by a landscaping firm that didn’t do what they said they’d do. My cable provider keeps saying my intermittent internet service is my fault. The stories are plentiful and painful.

"If there is no trust, there is nothing." 
Rob Thurman

It got me to think about my relationships and frankly me. Am I trustworthy? Do I strive to respect others every time? I’m human, I mess up, but I certainly do strive. If you're doing renovations, it’s clear you want to stand up for yourself and protect your investment. How do we navigate personal relationships from the same perspective?

I had a stressful situation happen this week with a close friend. They are going through a lot and the conversation got heated. And as we stupid humans often do, the kitchen sink was brought out. Yeah, but last September you said this. Yeah, but you did that last January. It’s human and it’s crappy. Communication without blame can solve it but as we know, that's sometimes easier said than done. Thankfully we worked it out.

"When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others."
Dalai Lama

In a work environment, everyone is under a lot of stress. Words are spoken. Blame is heaved. Accusations are lobbed. If we step away for even a few minutes, we can remember the relationship – work, life, wherever – is built on respect and trust and can withstand those types of interactions.

Respect and trust are earned but can’t be expected. Something to think about with your business. If you can show both and do what you claim you'll do, you will crush your competition. Great service is what we want yet we're blown away when we get it.

Does this mean trust and respect are only present when it's convenient? Can one argument tarnish a relationship like a bad experience with a plumber? I’d like to think we try our level best to remember why we have the people in our lives that we do and earn their trust and respect.

Something to cherish with our relationships.
__________________________________________________________________
Kneale Mann | People + Priority = Profit