Never Negotiate Your Integrity
Life is certainly too short to live our lives affected by other people’s decisions. That’s why we have to reach a point of focusing on our own choices and how we can better live our lives. We only have control over ourselves, but certainly people do affect us with their stubborn refusal to negotiate. When dealing with inflexible people, sometimes the only thing to do is to get up and walk away. This is as true in business and as it is in most areas of our lives.
Some people are willing to bend over backwards to try and strike a deal. They’ll do whatever it takes regardless if that means effecting personal and professional integrity. I believe that no good deed (or bad) goes unseen, and this extends to those who have cut corners in their professional or personal lives to cheaters who have been unfaithful in relationships. Eventually, you can’t outrun an outcome planted by greed, selfishness, and lust.
We are all only as good as our personal word, integrity, loyalty and trustworthiness, which ultimately plays a vital role in everything we do. If you have bad credit, you’re life is directly affected because banks and businesses cannot trust you to pay your bills on time, if at all. So, the chances of buying a house or car, getting a small business loan or receiving a personal line of credit are very slim. When we begin relationships based on deceit, they affect future generations to come. Wanting to do the best for our family, future, and personal development means understanding the foundation we are building.
There are stubborn and difficult personalities we must deal with, including our own, throughout our lives. Regardless of how much we’re willing to get along, some people will simply refuse to comply. There are challenging co-workers, peers, customers who feel that they’re right and everyone else is wrong. No matter what you do, you’ll never please them. They might write a terrible Yelp review about your business or product that negatively affect your reputation. Nowadays, the more that negative Yelp reviews stack up against you, the more they begin to deteriorate the public’s trust in your ability to provide excellent service.
The Bottom Line:
Personal integrity means putting everything you have into making things right and doing an excellent job. If you’ve done everything you could in your personal and professional life, then you know your efforts. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone. I believe in being a good person, in treating people with respect and love. Those who choose not to reciprocate need not be forced.
Never negotiate with those who only wish to inflict punishment, results based on self-interest, and who are unwilling to compromise.
I walk away from the negotiating table, never to return to those only willing to serve a raw deal. Change the menu and then we may talk.
It’s that simple.
Writing With Hope 