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by Stevenson Q. Yu
Proverbs 9:8
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
In his book Necessary Endings, Dr. Henry Cloud writes that there are three types of people: the wise, the foolish, and the evil. You cannot deal with them the same way.
If you try to deal with a foolish person in the same way that you deal with a wise person, he will drive you crazy. You will lose time, resources, and heart. And if you deal with an evil person at all, you might lose your business or your life.1
A wise person adjusts his behavior when shown the right way. The foolish person, on the other hand, becomes defensive when given honest feedback. They start to think a lot of excuses. It wasn’t their fault! Blame the machine! Their co-workers! Even the weather!
Any businessperson will tell you that the most valuable commodity they own is time. Everybody has twenty four hours a day, and there is no way to get more. Time represents money, and so we must guard it with all diligence.
As such, we should identify what type of person we are talking to, be they an employee, a customer, or a supplier. Are they wise and willing to learn? If so, you can take time to help or enlighten them. Or are they foolish, very defensive, and are not open to new ideas? If so, not only is your effort a waste of your time, it is even resented by the fool! It’s better to just avoid them and spend your time on other things.
Endnote
- Cloud, Henry. 2011. Necessary Endings. HarperBusiness.
(LinkS to Lesson 4 and Lesson 6)
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