The Syrup – R.E.S.P.E.C.T
Whether it’s taking a meeting, completing a task, or volunteering, my time — and my team’s time — are precious commodities. This standard applies to networking, vendors, and even clients.
Clients
I believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt — at least once. Everyone has bad days, and sometimes poor behavior is more about what they’re dealing with than anything personal. But there’s a limit. In my office, a client can have one bad day, and we’ll let it slide. If it happens again, I want to know about it so I can step in, have a conversation, and make it clear that this behavior could become a pattern we need to address. I’ll remind them that we all have the same 168 hours each week, and my team dedicates a significant portion of those hours — sometimes up to 50% during busy times like open enrollment — to serving clients like them. I want my team happy and thriving in their “work home,” and I protect that fiercely. So, if a client crosses that line a third time, we end the relationship. No amount of revenue is worth the cost of my team’s wellbeing.
We’re in NYC, where some folks think yelling gets things done faster. But, as my Gramma Ruby always said, “You catch more bees with honey than vinegar.” And I live by that.
Networking/Vendors
The “3 strikes” rule also applies to opportunities for meeting up. Life happens; kids get sick, trains stall, traffic grinds to a halt. I always give people the benefit of the doubt, but there’s almost always a way to communicate. In our office, we send meeting requests so it’s easy to shoot over an email if something comes up. I know many vendors and partners are in sales, and if a “white whale” client comes calling, priorities shift. But if you’ve scheduled and canceled three times, I’m done. Time is money, and last-minute cancellations can’t always be replaced with revenue-generating activities.
Some might think I’m showing my military upbringing a bit too much here. But here’s the deal: If your life is in such disarray that you need to reschedule three times, I don’t want your chaos in my world. I believe like attracts like, and I wouldn’t do this to someone else — not even when I was taking care of my father in hospice. I live by this, unapologetically.
It all comes back to respect. Respect for your time, my time, and the effort we each put into what we do. You teach people how they can treat you, and if you set that standard high, you’ll find those who rise to meet it. So, be clear about what you expect, and you’ll head off most issues before they start. Respect isn’t just about being polite; it’s the foundation of every successful relationship, both in business and in life.
So, what rules do you live by to protect your time, your wellbeing, and ensure respect stays at the center of it all?