Good idea at the time!

Have you ever had one of those good ideas that "seemed like a good idea at the time". It's like the time you were out of charcoal fluid and decided to use gasoline instead. Or the time you tied your 90 pound dog to an outdoor restaurant's table leg while you were having dinner, never imaging that he would see a stunning poodle walk by that he absolutely had to go meet. (from "Marley & Me"-GREAT book)

Some things do seem like a good idea at the time until hind-sight helps us see things a little more clearly.

It's like the time you referred someone to help a client of yours. It seemed like a good idea at the time because you were helping two people at the same time and positioning yourself as a center of influence, right? Wrong! This time, you rushed the process! You connected your client with someone you really didn't know that well. Maybe you just met that person at a chamber function and knew your client needed their services. All well and good, except for the fact that you put your great relationship with your client on the line for someone you have no relationship with at all! Why? To pass a referral? Is your relationship with your client worth the RISK? What if something goes terribly wrong?

In hind-sight, referring someone that you don't know is risky business. Get to know the person FIRST by spending time with them ... if they earn the right for your referral ... then, refer them to your client.