At a recent seminar, a client came up to me at the break and began discussing the question featured in the headline. The question was one of several asked in a recently completed profile. If you are familiar with profiles you understand that there can be several seemingly ridiculous questions.

Here lies the real subject of this newsletter - CHOICE. We are constantly being put into situations that require decisions of choice from us. And often, our choices are in conflict with the choices of others. Even the seemingly easy and obvious choices. It was, I think, the apparently obvious answer to this question that prompted my client to bring it up for further discussion. Possibly expecting a laugh (but I think more probably, unconscious insight), he asked this seemingly ridiculous and unimportant question to others at his place of work; "Should people be allowed to wear their bathing suits on the street? Please answer Yes or No."

It was the myriad of unexpected responses to a question with, in his opinion, such an obvious answer that I think stopped, puzzled and finally made him think. This question then helped him reconsider his assumptions and ultimately lead him to an epiphany. We are individuals first, led to make choices for our own reasons and our own motivations. We know intellectually, rationally, even constitutionally, that others have opinions different from our own and it is their right to do so. (We also know that most of other people's opinions are wrong).

Our charge as service professionals is to connect to our clients by first listening, caring to understand their motivations, and then proactively guiding them to the best solution for them.