My favorite cashier at Target – Karen. Sure, I could do the self check out, but I always laugh with Karen It wasn’t always that way. In 2013, Target had reported that hackers stole data from up to 40 million credit and debit cards of shoppers who had visited its stores during the holiday season. In February of 2014, Karen asked me if I’d like to save 10% on my purchases today by signing up for a Target Credit Card. Really, after Target just had a data breach of over 40 million, do you think a credit card is really a good idea? The people in line had their aha moment, and Karen just said ok. Not my finest moment. I was “that” customer. Sanctimonious and rude. Karen was just doing her job. You know, we can’t always be our best, the very best there is, no way. But you know what, we can avoid being the worst.
At work, there is the possibility someone is having their absolute worst day and that’s reflected in their interaction with you. Yes, it’s natural to be cautious going forward. After all, you can’t tell if it’s an anomaly or a pattern. I was fortunate with Karen’s graciousness. Inside voice occurs to me now before I make that perceived clever comeback; where in inside voice means, it stays inside my head. This week, are there times when you should use your inside voice?
Balancing on Unstable Surfaces 