Last year was pretty big for us.
2016 was a big year full of changes for us. We are still getting settled into a completely new way of life, so making resolutions right now feels a little premature for us, but its always good to look back and see what we’ve learned and how far we’ve come.
A Focus on Similar Business Values.
Throughout 2016, like most folks, we had some ups and downs. From a business perspective, some felt very disheartening as we were experiencing them while others didn’t seem like a big deal at the time, but ended up impacting us more in the long term.
We always try to do what’s right and help our clients make smart decisions. In the end, it doesn’t matter how badly we want something for someone, they have to want it too. We spent the first half of 2016 creating new service expectations (undoing a LOT of old bad habits) and the rest of the year actively managing expectations to the new norm. It was hard at times, but it was worth the effort. We agreed that going forward, we would actively seek out clients with business values similar to ours because not all business is good business in the long run.
A little time and distance.
Its so easy to become defensive when confronted with an injustice. Don’t drown in your initial reaction…wait and give yourself time to develop perspective, then make decisions. Each time we allowed ourselves time to digest, new information was realized, the situation resolved itself or we were able to develop a response that allowed a more equitable resolution. It is empowering, but can be frightening at the same time.
Lessons Reinforced.
- Manage your reactions.
- Act with integrity.
- Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
- Don’t let something linger just because its hard to do.
Happy New Year!