In life and in business you may find yourself having to make a choice between doing the easy thing and doing the right thing.
Doing the easy thing is having that second biscuit, or not saying anything when a colleague steps over the line. Or it might be agreeing with the customer – when you know they’re making a poor choice.
It’s more difficult to decline the extra biscuit and get some exercise.
It’s more difficult to confront the colleague and deal with their poor behaviour.
It’s more difficult to disagree with the customer and help them make a better choice.
The difficulty with all these examples is that they require a degree of confrontation. We see confrontation as a prelude to conflict.
Most of us don’t like conflict and go out of our way to avoid it!
Taking the easy way out offers short-term gain but may well lead to long-term pain.
The colleague who steps over the line once is likely to do so again. It could be that the rest of the team see this and, almost by default, the line is moved – what was previously considered unacceptable behaviour now becomes acceptable.
The customer who makes a poor choice is going to regret it. That regret will probably lead to resentment – it’s your fault, so you get the blame.
That biscuit goes straight to your waistline and stays there!
It’s much better for you and for your business if you focus on doing the right thing, not just the easy thing.
Over time, your colleagues will respect you and your customers will value your frank opinion. You will develop a reputation for integrity and honesty.
Businesses that have that kind of reputation find it easier to sell their products or services. They always know the difference between ‘easy’ and ‘right’.