Never Dance with the Devil

Sometimes when we work a job, we have to work with some pretty undesirable types. In situations such as those, where we work for an employer, we simply have no choice. However, when we are entrepreneurs or business owners, or even freelancers of some sort, we do have a choice of who we will work with.

Let's face it, the world is full of good people and bad people. You have some people who are honest and some that are dishonest on insincere. Sometimes it is difficult to determine where someone may sit regarding that. But when we are able to make that determination, we need to act in the most sensible manner and, believe it or not, it is quite simple. Don't work with someone you believe to be dishonest.

They say that there are three questions you should ask yourself regarding someone you are considering working with as an entrepreneur or business owner. Those questions are:

1. Do I trust this person?
2. Do I like this person?
3. Do I respect this person?

Trying to work with someone you don't really trust is pointless if you think about it. In business, you have to be able to rely on those you work with to do those things they promise to do. It's one thing if you count on a friend for something and that friend lets you down, but in business, if someone does not follow through on something, you can lose money or your business may just go under.

If you don't like someone, you should analyze the situation and figure out why. What are the qualities about this person that is causing you to dislike him or her? Sometimes our instincts pick up on certain things and we often sense something about a person that is just not good. It is important that you do not ignore those instincts. They are trying to tell you something.

It is also important to have respect for the people you are working with. Do you not respect this person because of their business reputation? If that person does have a bad business reputation, then the reputation of your business may suffer, as well, simply by associating with that person. Can you afford that? If you are just starting out, your business might be very hard to get off the ground if you start off on the wrong foot.

Supposedly, we should be able to answer yes to all three of the questions above. Sometimes, when starting out on a business venture, we may be desperate to find others willing to work with us, but we can't allow ourselves to become so desperate that we are willing to work with just about anyone. That can often do more harm than good. It's like dancing with the Devil and we should never dance with the Devil.