You're Not The Only victim

Published: Jan 15, 2004

Application

Chances are it will take just minutes to find a dozen business managers being victimized as well.

I've been searching for years to find a business colleague with sufficient knowledge to understand my problems without hearing, "That's nothin' let me tell you what happened to us!"

Chances are that if you are having difficulty with someone – others are having the same experience with that person.

Usually, it's not too difficult to find some of the others.

Some remedies

Stop playing the "Poor Little Me" game and get on with the next task.
Have some fun teaching the antagonist to stop doing that to all small businesspersons.
Gather a group of victims for a victory over the vanquished.
Give up running a business and get a job in some bureaucracy.

Stories

So-called Fire Inspectors

In our community, and many others I suspect, a fire truck will park in our block and firepersons will enter businesses demanding entry to inspect the building.

On the surface, that's a good thing.

However, when they write silly things on their reports it becomes a problem. One time we were told to install an exit light in an interior location. We went to the expense of having an electrician comply. On the next visit a different fireperson wrote a report for an exit light at another location. This report was not filed in the required location on our premises. Subsequent "inspectors" did not refer to its disappearance.

One time several members of my staff complained about rude and abusive behavior by a pair of "inspectors."

When the Fire Chief denied such a thing ever happened, first on the phone and again in his office, I bellowed for all to hear, "You deny any of your staff was rude to my staff. OK. You tell them to stop it anyway."

When one of these inspectors wrote in his report, "...too many fire extinguishers in the building," I knew I had the stuff for some fun. A person with authority over the Chief offered his assistance to which I replied, "What? You want to spoil all my fun?"

Soon after, a person declaring himself as the grand-inspector-of-them-all and stating he was here for the Official Annual Inspection. I told him the Chief and I had our problems resolved. Whoopee! He gave me another piece of ammunition with, "The Chief doesn't know anything."

I called the Chief to tell him what this guy said. I wasn't aware the Chief was about to retire, that this "grand inspector" was trying to be his replacement and their relationship was not a good one to say the least.

The rest of the story is hilarious. You are probably thinking this story is already too long – that's if you did continue this far.

Submitted by: NephewGerry

Outcomes

Realization that no one is trying to make your life difficult.