Doug Sundheim’s Leading Idea – Always Do What’s Right

It is easy to get caught up in charging through a difficult situation to get to a result without pausing to think about if you are going about it the right way.  It helps to have a well honed moral compass so that when these road bumps of life arise you need just go with your gut.  Sometimes though, a new or unique situation presents itself and it is important to stop and consider ramifiactions for a second, and potentially aquire the advice of someone with more insight and experience in the matter.  Doug Sundheim has the following to say:

 

Always do what’s right – you’ve got to live with the consequences

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because one’s conscience tells one that it is right.”
— Martin Luther King, Jr.(1929-1968) Baptist minister and civil rights leader

Consider this:

It isn’t always easy to do the right thing. Sometimes it can feel like the weight of the world on your shoulders. In these situations, use your conscience as a guide. Don’t look for the “easy way out.” What looks easy at first is often tough to live with in the long run. Always remember that you have to look at yourself in the mirror each day. And it’s a lot easier to do if you’re proud of what you see.

There are small opportunities to do the right thing everywhere. One example is speaking up on important issues. Recently a client of mine mentioned that he didn’t like the way a certain colleague treated staff members. I asked him why he hadn’t done anything about it. The question caught him off guard. He didn’t have a good answer. Upon further reflection, he realized that he was contributing to the problem by letting it occur. He ended up speaking with the guy. And later he told me that though the conversation felt uncomfortable, it eventually improved the situation.

Try this:

1. Start noticing where you don’t stand up for what’s right (however you define right).
2. Develop some ideas on how you could take action.
3. DON’T TAKE ACTION RIGHT AWAY – chat with others to get some perspective.
4. Choose your course.
5. Take action.

– Doug Sundheim

When your job is to mediate and broker a deal between two individuals with both parallel and opposing goals, you often find yourself between a rock and a hard place.  You need to repesent your property owner to the fullest, while at the same time ensuring the prospect gets a fair shake.   Representing a buyer or renter, you need to get the best deal for them possible that also appeases the owner – a lost property doesn’t help anyone. 

Luckily, with 9 of us on the Blumstein Team and over 50 years of combined experience we invariably have multiple takes on any situation, and often come to a cohesive solution that would benefit all parties involved.  You may not always know what is ‘right’ right off the bat, but then trust your gut and ask those that might.  If you can’t trust yourself for whatever reason – trust those you trust.

Doug Sundheim is an organizational consultant, author, & speaker. To learn more about his services visit him online at www.clarityconsulting.com