The Benefit of the Doubt

I heard something yesterday that has had a profound effect on me. Yesterday Rev. Vinnie Lainson's sermon was powerful - the takeaway from it is basically this: give everyone we encounter the benefit of the doubt. We can change the world just by giving others the benefit of the doubt. Yesterday's effect for me was mostly personal; however, this morning I awakened with the realization that the business world for me and my clients can be forever changed by this exercise as well.

For example, when someone cuts us off in traffic, instead of making gestures and using harsh language that only seems to raise our own blood pressure, perhaps we should give this driver the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he's just lost his job and is on his way home if he can find it or perhaps she has just left the hospital after hearing bad news. Other examples might include the grocery store express line with someone holding us up with double the number of "allowed" items, or the bank drive-thru lane when the person in front of me actually abandoned their car (true story!) and traffic was tied up for half an hour, or a colleague who has gotten on our last nerve for what seems like no good reason at all. There are many examples and we've all experienced them. But I want to look at this from the business perspective.

This Week with Sara Fitts will probe the ways that small business can be changed and improved simply by the power of giving others the benefit of the doubt.

• What if we abandoned all assumptions and gave our customers, clients, and colleagues the benefit of the doubt?
• What if we didn't second-guess the complaints, the requests and demands, or the need for a change in the appointment or meeting time?
• What if we didn't question the need for additional time for that report? What if the report really did get "lost" in cyberspace?
• What if we simply said "I'm sorry your child is sick and I hope he feels better tomorrow" instead of asking why a nanny is not a part of your household staff?
• What if we redefined the culture within our organizations to allow for giving every single person connected with the ogranization the freedom to experience receiving the benefit of the doubt? [This is really where it hit it for me.]

The benefits would be phenomenal, I think. And the benefits would be too numerous to ever count. But, for purposes of example, here are some of the benefits that come to mind initially:

1. Our production would immediately and exponentially increase - due to the simple fact that we have refused to get mad and bent out of shape yelling and saying things that are negative and detrimental to our work.
2. We would be happier and have happier colleagues, customers, and clients.
3. The culture of the organization would be much more positive.
4. The culture of the organization would not tolerate negativity nearly so much.
5. There would be much more creative energy for everyone associated with the business.

For me, the bottom line is this: When you develop a culture of giving others the benefit of the doubt, there is really no need to have back-stabbing, lying, cut-throat elements that distract from the business and the people involved in the business. Everyone is willing to give more because they are getting more.

It takes time to create this type of environment in any business or organization, and it is possible to have a successful and productive company based on this model. I'll write more about this in the next post.