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I recall some 15 years ago, could be more, could be less, I can't remember, I was in lane one on the highway, and I was going with the flow of traffic. At some point, I suppose I was leading the traffic, not realizing that I was exceeding the speed limit. When I passed a parked police officer, and as I looked back and noticed that his lights turned on, I had a feeling.

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Although many would say I should've continued driving until he pulled me over, I decided to change lanes, get on the shoulder, and wait for him. I did this because I knew I was speeding, and for a split second, I thought about my brother, who was doing traffic services at that time, and how I would want the interaction to go with him if he was to have stopped someone.


When the police officer came to my window, he thanked me for pulling over and waiting for him. I won't tell you how the rest of the story went, but it was a positive interaction.


I had a choice, to view the interaction in negative terms or to view it in positive terms and see where it leads. I chose the latter, and it led me to a favourable outcome.


There was another experience some 15 to 20 years ago, where I was driving along, and a police officer suddenly pulled up behind me and began to follow every turn I was making. I knew it was a matter of time before I would be pulled over.

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It wasn't long before I did get pulled over. When I asked him why I was pulled over, he indicated that I didn't have my seatbelt on. This was not the case. I told him my seatbelt was on all along, and both of my hands were on the steering wheel. He informed me that he saw me putting the seatbelt on, and as a result, he would give me a ticket.


I knew he was making it up, and I felt he had some quota to fill. I won't tell you what happened, but everything worked out favourably in that 10-15 minute interaction.


I had a choice, to view the interaction in negative terms or to view it positively and see where it leads. I chose the latter, and it led me to a favourable outcome.


We always have a choice.


Even if you were in a year-end performance review meeting, and your manager makes outlandish accusations and allegations which are not supported by any facts. You have a choice.


You can choose to argue with him. Or you can listen to what he has said. Make notes. And engage with HR to assess the situation and find a suitable response.


Do you want to engage in a heated conflict, or do you want to bring the interaction to a close, think through what happened, formulate an effective response, and executive your strategy?


The decision is yours. The choice is always yours.

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