ONE THING YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE

"Anger and intolerance are the enemies of correct understanding."

Mahatma Gandhi, 20th century leader of Indian independence.

Losing your temper while arguing will be the second thing you lose.

The first is the argument.

CORPORATE WARS

"Those who are at war with others are not at peace with themselves."

William Hazlitt (1778-1830) British essayist.

War takes many forms including that where the only weapons are words, plotting, and schemes.

At work we call this office politics.

You will be involved, sometimes willingingly, sometimes not.

Do your best to recognize when you are, to stop, to minimize what is of so little value to anyone.

WASTED RESOURCES YOU DON'T HAVE TO WASTE

"In politics the middle way is none at all."

John Adams (1735-1826) Second President of the United States.

"Politics" in business is a different sort.

It is the often not so subtle maneuvering to gain advantage over those we should view as allies: our coworkers.

Note to CEO's: You can't stop it; office politics is all pervasive. However do everything in your power to stop it.

It is wasted resources that should be directed toward your customers and competition.

THE MORE YOU SAY IS OFTEN THE LESS YOU SAY

"No comment is a splendid expression. I am using it again and again."

Winston Churchill (1874-1965) British politician

There are many reasons for saying little, sometimes including saying nothing at all.

Maybe the best is when you have a lot to say.

NOR DWELL ON THEM

"Never repeat old grievances."

Proverb

There is a fine but important line between remembering and dwelling on past injustices done to you.

Do your best not to cross it.

I HOPE THIS PLEASES YOU

"Please all, and you will please none."

Aesop (620 BC-560 BC) Greek fabulist

And since it is rarely, if ever, possible to please all, even the effort will often please none.

Just attempt to do what is right and leave concern for who that pleases to others.

COMPANY CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENTS NOTWITHSTANDING . . .

"The pit of a theatre is the one place where the tears of virtuous and wicked men alike are mingled."

Denis Diderot (1713-1784) French philosopher

But not the only place.

This is potentially just as true in business.

Probably more so.

ALL OR NOTHING, NEVER PARTLY IN

"When the sword of rebellion is drawn, the sheath should be thrown away."

English proverb

Meaning, don't pick fights you don't intend to finish.

If whatever you wish to oppose is important enough to start your opposition, make sure it is also important enough to finish.

SELF EVIDENT IS

"A fanatic is a man who consciously over compensates a secret doubt."

Aldous Huxley

20th century British author

The more someone attempts to convince me of something, including that I already accept as true, the more I doubt its validity.

IT'S ON (ME) YOU!

"Weakness on both sides is the motto of all quarrels."

Voltaire 

18th century French writer/historian

As easy as as this is to understand it is that difficult not to be guilty of in practice.

HITTING "SEND"

"There is always time to add a word, never to withdraw one."

Baltasar Gracian

17th century Spanish philosopher/writer

I can think of no better reminder in this day of what passes for mass "communication".

And all too often because we will anonymously type what we do not have the courage to say in person.

SO, WE MEET AGAIN!

"We only part to meet again."

John Gay

17th century English poet and dramatist

Even when you neither want nor expect to.

Be careful what you say when leaving one company for another.

Your parting words could come back to haunt you.

The world is a small place.

You'll Hear From My Attorney!

"He who goes to the law for a sheep loses his cow."

Spanish proverb

This slight to sheep aside, there is truth in this, particularly in business.

Make sure the value of a potential legal victory is worth the cost of the court battle to win it.

Titling At Preordained Windmills

"In all things there is a law of cycles."

Publius Cornelius Tacitus

1st century Roman historian

I advocate doing all you can to affect the change occurring around you at all times.

But you must first determine which is naturally cyclical.

There's no point working to change night into day.

Standing Up For What?

"Pride is the mask of one's own faults."

Jewish proverb

Not nice to think of it that way is it?

Much better to see yourself as a bulwark defending honesty, truth, and justice.

But what if you're simply wrong?

That Should Be Obvious

"To spell out the obvious is often to call it into question."

Eric Hoffer

20th century American philosopher/author

Some do this out of a sense of insecurity, not certain they've been understood.

Others do because they know what they've said is not obvious.

And a few simply change their mind in the brief moments between having and expressing a thought.

Understanding how often each of these applies to you is the hard part.

Never Surrender?

"Obstinacy in a bad cause is but constancy in a good."

Sir Thomas Browne

17th century English author

Advocating for what you believe it is a good thing with the trick being to recognize when you are standing your ground versus being buried under it.

The Company You Keep

"A long dispute means that both parties are wrong."

Voltaire

18th century French writer

Before any of you point it out, I do know this absolutely applies to the US Congress but as with everything in BW, my focus is business.

We shouldn't time our management debates but limiting the time we do before moving on would be a good idea.

Otherwise we risk being seen as (God forbid) politicians.

Needing to Win . . . Just Because?

"Don't fight a battle if you don't gain anything by winning."

Erwin Rommel
WWII General, German Army

How many discussions, debates, arguments, disagreements have you been in where following this advice would have produced a more favorable outcome for you, the other party or both?

Not What You Say But How You Say It

"I have often regretted my speech, never my silence."

Publilius Syrus
1st century BC writer of maxims

If you've ever been involved in an office argument, you know what this means. Moreover while speech is one thing, the problem is compounded with email and text communication.

My email/text communication rules:

1. Never say anything negative to or about someone in email. If it is important enough to think, it is important enough to be said rather than written.
2. Let some time pass before having any conversation in which you plan to criticize someone else. You will often find you see things differently if you do.
3. If you need to say something negative about someone to a third person, have them present when you do.
4. What about ccing others? If you follow the first three rules, that won't be an issue.
   

Do you have rules? What are they?

Have I ever had problems with this? Why do you think I now have rules?