Make It Right

Always. Every time.

That’s what really conscientious and dedicated professionals in any field seek to achieve. They want to always perform at their best and do a great job … every time.

That’s an admirable and indispensable mindset if you’re going to be really good at what you do.

That said, I don’t care who you are or how hard you try, some days are just gonna be better than others. And stuff happens.

You might be short of sleep, sick, or upset about something. And no matter how much you try to buffer the effects and carry on, “life” has a way of intruding and impacting performance.

I did a coaching call with a fairly new client recently. It was her third call in our first month of coaching. Several days after our call, she sent me an email saying she wasn’t pleased with my coaching. I was shocked!

She felt my coaching in our latest session wasn’t as focused and incisive as it had been. She was very pleased with our first two calls, but after that third one, she was questioning her commitment to our work together.

Yikes! This isn’t the type of response I typically get. I pride myself on the work I do, and I’ve been told my coaching is masterful.

So, she must be off-base, right? Maybe she’s resisting the work we’re doing. Maybe she’s really not the right client for me.

Whoa. Not so fast.

What if it’s me? What if I was off that day?

If you’re in business, I believe you have to be willing to be vulnerable and look inside even when it hurts. I had to take some time, sit back, and really consider her feedback.

Here’s what I saw. She was right. I wasn’t as focused and incisive as I usually am. I had taken half a Benadryl tablet to deal with a maddening rash.

I never take anything like that anymore. My typical medical protocols include only supplements and more natural methods, but it was driving me crazy and I was looking for some immediate relief, so I could function.

Maybe it did impact who I was being in that call. I had to take a deep breath, take full responsibility, and respond to her email.

I told her kindly and lovingly where I didn’t agree with a couple of the points she made, but, beyond that, I did everything in my power to make it right … including giving her another coaching session on me.

She continues to be a client and is thrilled with the work we’re doing. And the Benadryl is in the trash!

Well, that sounds pretty straight-forward. But what happens when the client’s feedback is off-base or you aren’t really responsible for the problem at hand?

That’s easy. You take responsibility anyway.

Case in point: It’s the first session of our MasterMind group, and my international caller wasn’t able to access the call. Frankly, the technology was there to support the call, but she didn’t take the necessary actions to make sure she was up to speed with it.

So what do you do? You make it right anyway. You go the extra mile.

You find out what she needs to get the technology in place. And, in this case, I offered her a private coaching session with me to make up for what she missed.

Did I have to do that? No. Was it the right thing to do? You bet.

I see far too many people in business … and in life … who don’t take responsibility for their actions. It’s always the other guy’s fault. If you want to set yourself apart in life and catapult yourself towards success, then make it right … even when it’s not your “fault.”

That’s just one of the ways you give your best … always … every time.

Best wishes,
Denise