b'PRESIDENTS LETTERChris WalkerMistake or opportunity?If someone asks you what your big- their next key customer, and advocate gest tile mistake was, is there some- for their product! thingthatjumpstomind?Forme,A project comes to mind where we thatlistislongerthanIdlikeittowere not allowed to correct imperfec-be.Yourmistakelikelycostyouations that were easy to fix. According bunchofmoney,embarrassedyouto the builder, the owner was unhappy professionally,orendedarelation- with the material they had selected. In ship with a customer or vendor. If itmy opinion, the client was attempting was an installation failure, was it theto push their dissatisfaction with their catalyst that made you do homeworkown specification back on to us as an onhowtoimproveyourinstallationexcuse to not pay for something and practices?Wasitanopportunitytoget it changed. This dragged on and on, learn how to do it better? Could youand I let it trouble me and allowed my use it as an opportunity to collaboratefrustration to color my responses. I had andstrengthenarelationshipwithaforgotten that everyone had their own vendor, supplier, or customer? That isinteresttoprotectandtheirswould the optimal result.notalignwithmine.Ithadbecome No matter how long you have beendifficult to keep it professional. I was doingwhatyouaredoing,thereislooking for a win-win and did not see always much to learn. If you find your- one. Eventually, I shared my frustration selfinachallengingposition,reachwith a mentor who helped me regain outtosomeoneyourespectorwhosomeperspective.Withadviceand handles themselves in a manner yousome quiet reflection, I found a more admire. Theymaybeyoursoundingbalanced perspective and formulated board.Goodinformationisalwaysa new path forward. available from good vendors. They areMistakeswillhappen.Situations interestedintrainingandsupportingwill occur that are beyond your abil-peoplewhoareinvestedindoingitity to address alone. Its not a matter right.Trainingyoutranslatestolessofif,butwhen.Youmayneedto risk for them. When you do your jobmakeanaccommodationyoudont well, they are less likely to spend timefully agree with, not because its fair, dealing with a claim or an unhappybut because it gets it done. The ques-customer.Mostimportantly,theyaretion is how will you or your company developingarelationshipwithyou,step up and address those situations? 16TileLetter | October 2020'