Everyone deserves a certain level of respect

Do you remember a situation where you or someone else neglected to pay respect to a supplier, an employee, or any type of person they had some sort of “power” over? In some cases, if they screw up or make a costly mistake, you might think it’s justified. But what was the intention? I mean, did it start with a good or a bad intention?

I’m a strong believer in judging the intention and not the result when it comes to emotional responses. If a supplier screws up but sincerely apologizes, I’m totally cool about it. Same for that employee that costs you money. Obviously, the second time around, I question them to see if it makes sense to keep moving forward with the same person.

Years ago, SimplyPHP partners Tony and Raph decided to walk away from serially disrespectful clients. They are incredibly understanding and empathetic until there are no more reasons to justify the behavior.

In 2022, there are no reasons to justify disrespect like this from anyone. Many companies and freelancers get nervous about putting their foot down when something like this happens, even though they would benefit exponentially from doing so. If you put your foot down (respectfully), two things can happen:

– They will become way calmer
– You’ll walk away and be much happier

It’s scary at first but an automatic must after you adjust.