In case you missed “The Specialist” Spotlight on the radio today it was a very interesting segment. What it came down to was a phone call I received from a very upset parent that was at wits end regarding his son who had worked in sales for a short time but whom had over and over again had brushes with the law and constant problems interacting with other people.

In my brief encounter with this troubled soul I found him to be a very good salesperson with absolutely NO social skills and NO conscious. This young man had used every person that he came in contact with and had used every possible favor from anyone on this planet. Finally he found himself in jail and his bond after serving 30 days was still $15,000. for two more offenses he was charged with while he was in jail. This young person was a mess.

Any parent that has found themselves dealing with a child that has an addiction or has a behavioral problem realizes that at some point you come to a crossroads. Are you helping this person or enabling them? This has to be a brutal crossroads for a parent. Being “The Specialist” I have always believed I could help and turn around most anyone. I have always told my loyal readers and listeners that was the hardest lesson for me to learn in management.

When I was speaking to this parent I could hear the pain in his voice. It hurt deeply to know the agony he must be going through. If I was not going to guarantee this young man a job the parent was going to go the “tough love” method and leave their son in jail. They had come to the ultimate crossroads. As a manager or parent you to will one day have to decide between helping someone or enabling them. What a tough decision!

“The Specialist”