The 24 Hour Rule...
You come home from work and your spouse is angry at you. You have no idea what is the problem because she is not talking to you. This is known as the silent treatment. You go to bed hoping for a better day tomorrow. In her mind…she plays it this way, “Doesn’t he know what he said about my mother would get me upset! I am just going to ignore him until he apologizes!”
Introducing the 24 Hour Rule…
We all need successful systems in our life. One of the most powerful “systems” was shared with me years ago by author and friend and mentor, Ken Blue. Ken has a Ph.D and is one of the wisest men I know. You may have heard of the old scriptural saying of “don’t let the sun go down on your anger”. The general thought is that one should clear –up all the days tensions before one goes to sleep. Ken updated it and called it the 24 hour Rule. I have since shared this with students, teachers, clients and business leaders. All, with profound results. Ken Blue restated the proverb by saying:
“You have 24 hours to confront the person who wronged you, or you lose the right to be hurt”.
He was wisely stating that if you do not deal with your hurt/frustration/anger…you are now part of the problem…because the other person may have no idea they have made you hurt, frustrated or angry. They are completely unaware that something is wrong. If you do not tell them what is the problem…you are now part of the problem.
Yes it works in business too. A friend of mine announced during a staff meeting that, “starting today if you have any issues…you have 24 hours to tell me about it…or you lose the right to hurt.” Within minutes he had a response on his email from an employee. To make a long story short, the employee was frustrated about not being invited to a lunch-hour client meeting. Once my friend knew the feelings of a staff member he was able to welcome him into the client meeting...the result...a fully engaged employee and a healthy work environment.
It is guaranteed to work...or your money refunded!