The Defender
It was Sunday afternoon, and this was the day my husband and I decided we would enjoy the afternoon - so we ventured 35 miles north of the city to view landscapes.
As a realtor in Houston, carrying a pager device on a Sunday outing is commonplace. So, yes, of course, my pager went off during our time away. The telephone number that read on the dial was one I hadn't recognized. I stopped by a pay phone and dialed the Houston telephone number. The voice that answered was that of my manager, Ms. Sanders.
She started in quickly to say that she received several telephone calls from a client of mine named "Bob." Bob, she says, said that he was very upset with me, that I was not doing what I was supposed to do, and that he basically wanted out of our listing contract. When Ms. Sanders asked particulars of Bob as to why, she quickly defended me saying that the way I was handling his transaction was the right way. She then indicated to Bob that she would first discuss the matter with me. She would obtain MY story about the situation and then get back in touch with him.
When I explained the matter to her, she was grateful that I had explained it to her. She now had BOTH sides of the story.
But what was wonderful about this was that instead of jumping on me and taking the (one-sided) side of my client, she defended me with my client from the start. That behavior of my manager told me that I could TRUST my manager, which is a rare trait of most managers in my past experience in business.
As it later turned out, Bob called both my manager and myself apologizing for his past behavior and wanted back in the contract. This occurred in part because of a great manager who kept firm on her position about me - instead of siding with an irate client. She had faith in me. This has led to a great trust in her and her management style.
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