Steven Robbins here. Welcome to the Get It Done guys quick and dirty tips to work less and do more.

Today's topic is telling people they're wrong. Elizabeth writes in, I work for a small company and we

often contract work for larger companies to survive. Sometimes we deal with clients who are just

plain wrong. How can you tell a superior, or in this case a client, that they're just

plain wrong without losing your job? Elizabeth, I like you. We share a common desire. We both like

to let people know they're wrong, wrong, wrong. And of course, that means we're right.

I'm curious why you do it. I know why I do it. I was not popular growing up and didn't do that

normal stuff like bonding over cotton candy at the state fair, playing baseball in the vacant lot,

and hanging out in our tree house. My life was more about

being chained to the bully's desk and forced to eat dog biscuits while doing her homework for her.

And now to prove my worth, I love to make it clear that everyone else is wrong and I have the

answers. I don't have any pets, but I still buy dog biscuits. I wonder if I should mention that to my therapist.

Hmm. Know your motivation. Before you let your client or your boss know they're wrong, ask yourself

why you care. If you think it'll be risky, make sure you're taking the risk for a good reason.

Maybe you're like me and you just want to be right. If that's it, please let me introduce

you to my therapist. Next time you think they're wrong, look your client or your boss or your

teenager, straight in the eye and say, you could be right. Let's do it your way. When your motive is

pure ego, you are setting yourself up to fail. If you doubt me, think about the last time you demanded your schmooopi-whoopi

go to your favorite restaurant for dinner instead of theirs.

Even if you were right, heck, especially if you were right.

How much groveling did it take to repair the relationship?

If ego is the only thing compelling you to tell someone they're wrong,

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