Response Matters!

Imagine the following:

You attend a buyer’s tradeshow and find that your products are not as sellable or priced right to attract potential retailers and you don’t get the appointments for vendor visits that you anticipated.  OR… You give a presentation at the investor’s meeting and find that your projected profits for the next year are not impressive enough for several of your investors to stay active and they opt for exiting rather than extending their current investment contracts.  OR… The new factory space you anticipated moving into suddenly becomes unavailable due to new building code requirements and delays the expansion of your business… What will you do now?  What will everyone think?  Will this be the demise of your business and your professional reputation?

Well that depends… all on the choices you make in response to the situation.  My daughter just reminded me of a mantra that I have tried to instill into myself, my children, my students and my clients: “We aren’t judged by what happens to us, but rather by how we respond to it.”  We can’t always control what happens to us or how others behave or decisions they make.  The only part of our life that we have 100% control over are the choices that we make.  We decide how to react, although often we don’t give ourselves the chance to carefully consider all of the options.  I believe in giving any issue ample time to brew and manifest in order to create the best solution or the most comprehensive approach. I don’t support ignoring it or letting it go, but don’t rush the response.  Remember it is very difficult to unring a bell.  As you respond to situations whether they are difficult, challenging or even triumphs or celebratory moments, keep these strategic questions in mind before publically making a statement or sharing your response with others:

1)      Do I understand all aspects of this issue?

2)      Am I making the right choice, not the just the easiest?

3)      Will what I am choosing to do have a positive or negative impact?

4)      Do my actions harm, hurt or impede upon someone else’s success?

5)      What would I think of someone else who did made this choice?

6)      Has this been tried before and what were the results?

7)      When this is over or I move to the next stage how will I feel about myself?

If your answers to these questions are positive, then you are on target with your decisions.  If your answers to these questions evoke some shady feelings or create additional questions, then maybe your situation warrants more thought and consideration before reacting.  The choices that we make help form our character, both personally and professionally.  Be confident that you are making the best choices with the information, resources and experiences you have access to.  Your response matters more than you think!