Differentiating Deal Breakers vs. Growth Opportunities
By NETWORK. LEAD. EXCHANGE.
Connecting with others is important, but it’s also important to know when to cut bait. Network Lead Exchange discusses how to differentiate a deal breaker and a growth opportunity.
It’s difficult to know when the time is to cut off a connection and when that connection offers a chance to grow. All growth occurs in uncomfortable spaces. It’s imperative to recognize these spaces and lean into the growth factor. There are times when no matter how uncomfortable things get, growth doesn’t occur. When this happens, it’s important to cut bait. Here’s how to differentiate between the two situations.
Things Don’t Get Better
The easiest way to determine if a deal breaker situation exists is when there are several attempts at a breakthrough with a difficult person and nothing takes off. It’s important to try multiple ways of reaching someone. It’s also imperative to provide time for a difficult person to come around. However, if the same problematic behavior exists despites time and technique, that’s a situation when the connection is not worth what comes with it.
Willingness to Meet Halfway
The key difference between a growth opportunity and a deal breaker is when the person is making an effort to ameliorate a problem. It’s important for both parties to notice this. Whether a network leader or network member, talking to the other person and finding points of agreement is the best way forward. There will be a solution to the problem. The key is making sure both people are working in good faith. When there’s an exchange of ideas leading to compromise, this is clearly a person helping a network member grow.
Understand the Difference Between Behavior and Intent
There are plenty of people who misbehave but there’s nothing behind the behavior. For example, if a person is loud but that’s just a defense mechanism, it’s quite different than someone who is loud and talking out of school. Intent that’s a deal breaker is intent of someone seeking to hurt another person. The intentional nature must be in the behavior. The difference is this – a person can be a gossip, but a harmless gossip. The deal breaker is the person gossiping because they’re trying to harm the subject of the gossip. Pay attention to the things people do and how they do them. It will show the intent behind behaviors.
It’s not easy to find a deal breaker versus a growth opportunity. The good news is the uncomfortable space with either scenario informs a more nuanced perspective. Find networking groups that work well together even in uncomfortable situations sometimes @ NETWORKLEADEXCHANGE.COM.
