They May Disagree, But They'll Respect You

I recently had a conversation with someone who not so subtly tried to persuade me to replace the gentlemen I hired for a project. No doubt, he had my best interests at heart and thought I'd given the person I hired a big enough window to get the job done.

The problem was the man I hired for the job was a close friend who I didn't feel had been given a "fair shake." From the very start, wires had been crossed and I'd failed on several occasions to clarify my objectives. "I'm going to give him a few more months," I finally said. My decision was met with disapproval. 

The next day after I'd phoned my friend and talked about the adjustments we needed to make to reach our goals I met with the same person who half a day before tried to convince me to move forward with someone else.

I told him I'd had a conversation with my friend and that we now had a plan on how to press on with deadlines in place. 

"I think that's a good idea," he said. "I'm like you. I'm very loyal to my friends." That's interesting, I thought.

If you feel strong about something, stand your ground. People may not agree with you at first or ever, but chances are they'll at least respect you.