Is the fight you may want to embark on worth it in the end? Is there a better battle to be fought?
Some Back Story
At times in my life, I have chosen battles and thought they were completely worth it.
Hindsight being 20/20, of course, I can now see the battles I was fighting were not worth it in the end.
One of the last battles I had seen me get canned from my job, and another which to be honest in my view I wasn't trying to have with that particular manager. In both cases, I lost my job and found myself hunting for something new. Both cases people seen and understood what I was going through and realized it was more than just ”a me” thing and there were some other issues at play.
The issues that arose and the ensuing battle I tried to fight with one of them wasn't a battle I should've been fighting personally. I should have taken the issues up the chain of command and had them deal with it. I guess I figured since I didn't know who would fight on our behalf id take matters into my own hands. Smart? No. Courageous? Ummm… maybe at the time and place I was at, now not so much.
This doesn't mean you shouldn't rock the boat a little and become a ”yes man.” No, it only means to recognize there are better battles to be fought and won.
Which battles to choose?
This is a really good question. The battles to choose aren't always easy to find, and you may go after the wrong ones, or use the wrong tactics.
One tactic and it's really important hence why it's first; is don't battle your clients. Even if you know they are wrong is it really worth you coming out on top to be the winner and making them the loser? Well, it isn't! You may feel good but think about how they feel now and do they want to do business with you because of this losing feeling you've just pushed on them so you can win and be the big cheese. My guess is no.
Your best scenario here is to agree with them or allow them the victory of this battle. It doesn't really matter what it was you were about to battle over unless it is a material fact for your sale then you want to make sure you let them know what the scoop is.
Allowing the client the victory could very well secure you the sale and more to come, plus they feel like they are winners and you, in the end, win with their business. So you will all come out as winners. Having the client come out as the victor not only allows you the win of the business it could also lead to referrals and more business from that client.
Important Note: Letting the client win ends at abuse. Do NOT take that crap!
Another tactic or strategy is to recognize battles that you know you won't ever win. Kind of no a brainer right? Wrong! You wouldn't believe the battles we all choose to fight instead of just leaving well enough alone.
A great example is with coworkers and colleagues. Some times there are just little things, or even medium things, they do that can kind of drive you nuts. Is it worth the fight? No, most likely not. You'll keep a better working relationship and it won't be awkward later on either.
What if it is your manager you ask? Well, you can always go higher up if it is a big problem. There are occasions when I'd say there could be a battle to be fought; such as a fight for a pay increase (use some strategy here). To battle, some minor behaviours are probably not worth it. If they aren't letting people know when they are leaving early or going to be late due to meetings or whatever. To me, it isn't worth the battle.
Now a battle you should fight no matter what is for the good of the people. Whether it be your coworkers, fans, family, friends, or groups trying to make the world a better place. These are the causes you want to fight for.
If you hear people coming up short against something that they can't seem to get around, then step up and help out. There is no harm in helping and never really truly ever hurt anyone to do so. Win the hearts and the minds of your people and by being there for them and they, in turn, will be there for you as well.
What about you? what battles should you have avoided? What battles did you take on? Did you go for the win, or did you let them have the victory so you could both score the win? Let us know below in the comments. We want to hear from you.
Thank you for reading.
Ride Hard, and Live Long.
Sincerely,
Rob Hicks
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