Speak up for yourself and get things done

In business, we are taught that the customer is always right. I remember in my first job at McDonald's -- a job I absolutely loved -- my manager used to say that. And so I believed it. If the customer wanted something, the customer got it.

But sometimes, the customer is not right. And in those instances, you have to make the situation right -- by standing up for yourself. I recall an incident some time ago when a client kept insisting on changes to drag out a project. It seemed as if no matter what happened, we could not complete it. I wondered if the client was looking to create delays to postpone payment.

After quite a long time of working to accommodate every request, I finally had to stand up. At the risk of losing the client or offending him, I had to address the situation. I had to realize the customer was not always right. And so I told the client that things would be different. We would not do another thing he asked until we were paid. And we wanted to be paid now. The customer grumbled, but he knew I was right. I calmly outlined all of the additional work we had done to meet his needs and how some of his requests were simply non-issues. I explained how this project was long overdue, as was payment. At the end of the discussion, the client had no arguments left, as he and I both knew I was right and he had been creating imaginary problems to delay the project.

The next morning, we had our money. And we were able to wrap up the project very shortly afterward -- to the client's praise! He raved about our work, which was a far cry from what he had said when he was stalling.

So while it's good to believe the customer is always right and to work to meet all reasonable requests, never lose sight of what you are working to accomplish. And never lose sight of the fact that sometimes you must assert yourself so you make the situation right.

If you allow others -- clients, mates, friends, family members -- to run over you and take advantage, you will find yourself in a bad position. This will affect how you feel about yourself and how you interact with the world. What's more, it will compromise the quality of work you are able to produce. So don't be afraid to show what you're made of -- you might just get more respect when you do.

Take charge of your life when you take charge of your circumstances -- at work and at home.