Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCXVIII

You've said it...and sincerely meant it. So have I. "This is strictly a business decision, so please don't take it personal." When we say that, even with the best of intentions, if it affects someone else's life, it's personal, whether it's meant to be or not. Let me give you a couple of examples of what I mean. I recently read a book called "Onward" by Howard Schultz, the founder and CEO of Starbucks Coffee. In this book, he tells about the difficult times his company had to face back in 2008 & 2009, when, in an effort to get the company back on its feet, he had to make the decision to close hundreds of stores. He wasn't angry with anyone and felt no animosity toward any individual; it was just a business decision that had to be made, yet the thing that kept him awake night after night was the fact that his move would have an adverse effect on thousands of lives...personally. If the President of the United States has to make the decision to send our troops into war, he has to live with the fact that many of them will lose their lives. You can't get any more personal than that.

Have you ever stopped to consider the fact that practically every decision you make affects someone else? When I was a young man with small children at home, the president of the company I was working for chose to transfer me to a different city, in the interest of the company. My kids are grown and married today, and when I think about it, I realize that a decision made so many years ago by a man my kids will probably never meet, affected even who they married. That's a good thing, but it's personal. If I choose to make a change in the car dealership I do business with, it will have an adverse effect on one salesperson and a positive effect on another...personally.

None of that means that we should avoid making those decisions, but the realization of the fact that no matter how well thought-out my decision making process has been, other lives will be affected, and that can make the process a little more difficult. I recently had to make a decision that I knew would affect multiple lives for years to come, in both positive and negative ways, and I must admit, it cost me some sleep. As far as I can remember I've never intentionally tried to cause harm to any other individual, yet to some degree, my actions do it every day. I don't mean for it to be personal...it just turns out that way.

Preston