Let me start by asking you a question.

"Do you ever think about how you would feel, if you made a decision about a company you were considering working with, on your own knowledge and experience, rather than based solely on given guidelines or frameworks? Does the thought exhilarate or scare you? 

I am not suggesting we don't adhere to rules that make sense, but these are usually focused on the big things that the majority of companies abide by. What about the small things that aren't covered by these rules, you know those awkward grey areas.

For me, professionally and personally it is in these areas where we learn the most about how a company or a person are, ethically and morally. It is in these areas where things that are somewhat unseen show us more about the people we are dealing with than the big, very visible issues. 

Think about the last time you had a small but rather niggly problem that you brought to someone's attention. How did they respond when there wasn't a rule for them to abide by?

For me, I see the grey areas in different shades, from the "I think that is an awful response" to "I don't agree but understand where you’re are coming from" to "that decision surprised me in the best possible way."

I believe life gives us all opportunities every day to make these small decisions. It also gives us the chance to see, when presented with these opportunities how others respond. Rather than relying solely on following rules we are able to build up a picture of the character of a person and/or a company, one that goes beyond the standard information we are given.

What good and bad experiences have you had recently that have fallen into these grey area? What decisions have surprised you and how have they affected you? Have you taken a chance on working with a company that is less well-known only to be surprised by the service you have received in comparison to a well-known alternative?

I would love to hear any stories you have and see what we can all learn from them.

Cate x