At immense cost to my sense of self-worth, I have recently come to realise that when I yield to gossip, to hearsay, and rumours and react based on such incomplete information, particularly when it relates to pulling up people, I invariably pass harsh judgement and leave the recipient frustrated and hurt.
Recently, I was given a list of complaints about a colleague of mine by a client. Assuming my client was talking based on neglect of my colleague, I lambasted my colleague and left him quite disheartened.
Another colleague of mine who was present, called me aside and explained the situation as it was and shared verifiable facts.
He pointed out my indiscretion, without blaming me. I realised in pouring venom on my colleague that I had actually cast aspersions on him. All this with insufficient information.
I apologised, but realised the damage was done. The need to seek clarity, confirm with evidence, and clarify with fact, is a lesson I have learnt. Such awareness may help me cause less damage in significant relationships.
The writer is an organisational and behavioural consultant. He can be contacted at ttsrinath@gmail.com