My neighbor gave me some really blunt advice about a work problem

I was stuck on a tough call at my job as a property manager. A long-term tenant, a nice older lady, was falling behind on rent due to medical bills. My gut said to give her more time, but the company rules were clear. I was talking about it over the fence with my neighbor, Carl, a retired accountant. He just looked at me and said, 'The kind thing and the right thing aren't always the same. You're not doing her any favors by letting her debt pile up.' It felt harsh, but I followed the formal process, which started a payment plan with the rental assistance office. Turns out, she got connected with aid she didn't know about and is back on track now. Carl's advice was right, but it still feels weird that being 'ethical' meant not being 'nice' in the moment. Has anyone else had to make a call where the kinder-seeming option was actually the worse one?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimmurphy13d ago

Wait, she didn't know about the aid office? That's wild. Carl was totally right, but man, that must have been a tough talk.

lewis.finley13d agoProlific Poster

Yeah, just laying out the options without any pressure can really help.

emma_flores12d ago

Totally, @kimmurphy. Just list the facts, then step back.