CAN’T WALK THE TALK?

As a manager, there will be times when you’ll have to do something that appears inconsistent with what you’ve said. For instance, suppose a core value is to ensure customer satisfaction. That may be a great overall philosophy, but you may have a customer who is never happy, one who demands endless corrections, custom options, and special treatment. Suppose you run the numbers and realize that the time invested in this customer is so great that you can’t make a profit on his jobs. It would be smart to decline further business from him.

To your employees, however, that might seem as if you’ve abandoned your values and that all the work they did to satisfy the customer was a waste of time. Save the situation by explaining why you’ve decided to walk away from his business.

Employees might not agree with every decision, but they’ll respect your integrity and your honesty about your reasoning.

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