Your customer is giving you grief about a situation out of your control. The neighbor continuously parks on your side of the street causing inconveniences. It’s that time of year again where you’re going to have to negotiate your salary. 

We can villainize the customer, neighbor, and boss in each of these situations. The truth is we usually do. We scoff at their reasoning and think less of the them. What we should do is flip our perspective. They are not the enemy. They are the key to the solution. 

The customer clearly wants to be heard. Give them your ear, show them you’re listening, and create a life-long fan. The neighbor has been paying no attention to the fact that your kid’s door on the van now opens up to the street instead of the sidewalk and that you struggle to bring all the bags in after a long day. Kindly approach them and discuss what you’ve been experiencing and discuss parking etiquette. Your boss shouldn’t be surprised about your desire for salary negotiations. Lay the ground work early, determine the metrics needed to hit specific marks that earn you what you’re looking for. 

There are no enemies, only solutions.