10 Gallons of gas & a blowtorch

Linda LaitalaBusiness, Leadership, ManagementLeave a Comment

10 Gallons of gas & a blowtorch

A business owner I visited with last week was upset.  A key manager had given his two-week notice.  “It’s not so much that he left,” the owner said, “but I hate being blindsided He’d been a valuable part of our team over 10 years.  Getting such a short notice with no options made me angry and disappointed.  I know you’re not supposed to burn bridges, but when he told me he was leaving, I wanted to take 10 gallons of gasoline and a blow torch to that bridge!”

Relationships are everything.  You have them at work, with friends, clients, bosses even with the barista who makes your morning coffee.  Not all are created equal; some are good, some bad, some better and some worse.  Some are toxic.  Sage advice tells you to cultivate and cherish the positive ones and walk away from those that are bad – without burning bridges.

For the most part, “Never burn bridges.” is good advice, but some bridges need to be burned.  Here are some bridges you should consider cutting ties with;

  • Anyone who intentionally and seriously deceives you.
  • Someone who cheats to win.
  • Someone who asks you to do something unethical or illegal.
  • Any relationship where there is physical or emotional abuse.

Bridges are opportunities to connect two places.  To burn or not to burn is entirely your call.  But we need to learn to let go and move on.  Sometimes burning a bridge is the healthiest thing you can do.

The road is easier together,
Linda

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