HOW TO BURN BRIDGES (Part 2)

Unintentional and inconsiderate bridge burning is usually the result of someone placing more value on his own time more than yours. In many ways it’s like the dynamics of having a conversation. Some people are more interested in what they have to say than listening to what you do. This is likely because they think that they are more important than you are. Not only is this irritating it is usually boring.

Last week I was approached through Linkedin by someone who was connected to several people whom I knew well and by all appearances seemed to be legitimate. I reviewed the material that he had sent me and it did seem that he had a viable company and he seemed interested in exploring how we might work together.

He indicated that he would have his assistant send me some options for a call with him and his director of business development. The e-mail when I received it was very unprofessional and not understandable in many ways. It was far from the standard that I would have expected from an executive assistant. It provided one option only. This was one that was obviously convenient to her boss but did not work for me.

I was reluctant to respond because of the nature of the e-mail so I communicated directly with her boss who through an exchange of e-mails found a time that worked for the both of us.

A day later, I received another communication that he was going to be busy and he would not be able to make the time that he had suggested and gave me another time. At this point in time I was getting a little frustrated with this process when I still did not know what he wanted from me.

The time arrived for the phone call that he was to make with me and unsurprisingly there was no phone call. After 15 minutes I sent him an e-mail advising him that since he did not call to advise me that he would be late I was going to make other calls that I had planned to make. 

Ten minutes later when I was on another call he called me and advised me that he just got caught up in another matter.

I told him that I had moved on to something else.

I have no idea what he wanted in the first place but what I did know was that he thought that his time was more valuable than mine.

Someone could have the greatest idea in the world or be the smartest person around but if he does not treat others with respect I question whether you would want to be around him or work with him.

If you burn a bridge, sometimes it makes it easier to see the perils of the river!