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Do The Right Thing

Posted on April, 18, 2021 by Tom Thayer

“Sometimes is it better to lose and do the right thing,
than to win and do the wrong thing.”
Tony Blair

As a child, we were all taught to do the “right” thing. Our parents always tried to guide us in the right direction, encouraging us to say, “thank you,” “ask nicely,” or “be kind.”

As we grew older, our parents expected us to still do the right thing, but they gave us more freedom to decide what the “right” thing was. We would decide which way to go at our own peril, of course!

I tried, I failed, I learned.

Learned, or in my world as a kid, another word for “butt-whipping”.  Lesson learned.

Anyway, sans the spanking, as adults we try do the right thing simply because it’s the right thing to do.

My dad used to tell me that doing the right thing is sometimes the hardest thing to do.  And you know, he was right!  Life is not simple, finding right and wrong is hardly ever black and white.

Let me caveat this first by stating that I would never insinuate that I am a man that has always done the right thing.  No, no. It just intrigues me that no matter how old we get, situations come up that still test our resolve to make that right decision.

We are human after all, and humans make mistakes, and I am not immune to them.  I’m here to tell you there is no “Saint Thomas”.

Just ask my wife, she’ll tell you!

I do, however, try to do the right thing at every opportunity. I think I speak for everyone in saying that I do wish it just got easier with time and age, but it definitely doesn’t.

Each situation can be harder than you think, too.  And, surprisingly at that moment in time, when doing the right thing is at its most difficult to do, a lot of us try to make deals with ourselves.  We rationalize, or in other words, we lie to ourselves.

You’ve seen it in those dramas or sitcoms on TV.  The lead character had a hard decision to make and instead of doing it right, they rationalize with themselves.  They give themselves multiple reasons why NOT doing the right thing at that moment is actually a good thing.  “I know I should’ve done this, but that’s so hard to do and once they see why I had to do that, they’ll definitely understand, forgive me and everything will be just peachy!”

It adds drama to the show and makes us all tune into another episode, but we all know in the end, the character usually pays for NOT making the hard decision and doing the right thing.

Also, like all things, there are varying degrees of “doing the right thing”.  We all know taking our shoes off and always placing them neatly in the mud room next to the door is the right thing to do. So why do we just flip ‘em off our feet into a random corner? C’mon, you’ve done it!

And as principled that can be doing the right thing here, we obviously aren’t talking about this silly example I just gave, are we?

I’m talking about those hard decisions.  Things such as reporting to your boss that someone you work with and like is stealing from them. How about having to fire a family member you love?  What about reporting abuse (verbal or physical), knowing it’s going to cause a big ole’ giant hell storm?  There’s the always infamous, “hey my friend, I’m sorry to tell you that your wife/girlfriend is cheating on you” conversation.

Tough situations.  Tough decisions.  Those instances some folks would handle each in one way and for others, another way.  Regardless of the direction you would go, I know there’s no one that wouldn’t have to first wrestle with the dilemma awhile first.

What makes them so difficult, you ask?

It’s multiple things, but quite often it’s because most circumstances aren’t as clear-cut as they seem.  I know we’d like them to be, and lord knows the decision, no matter how you slice it, has to be done with earnest and with honest intent.

I personally think it’s also because people bring their own world-views with them into their decision making processes, which causes them to see and interpret situations in different ways.  These different ways are typically not the truest ways as they get filtered through the proverbial “rose colored” glasses.  We see things that are not there and don’t see things that are there.

Those things open windows for us to do that “rationalization thing” I wrote about earlier.  We lie to ourselves about what we see and try to rationalize it to ease our fears and worry, when just “sucking it up”, bolstering our intestinal fortitude and finding the right way to do what needs to be done is the next step.

Now, I’m no expert but, if we just remember to follow some simple, yet time tested rules, I think we’d all find doing the right thing gets easier and easier.

Every day take steps to be as honest, as real, and as brave as you can be, even when it scares you.  You can never go wrong.  You’ll also be mentally stronger from it, making it just a little easier to do it the next time.

 

A verse from a very famous book pretty much says it all if you really thing about it.  It is translated like this.  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

If you want someone to be honest with you, be honest with them.  If you want your boss to trust you, be trustworthy.  If you want more compassion and empathy from those around you, be compassionate and empathetic.

All these examples have one thing in common, exemplifying the behavior, not just speaking it.

Do the things that lead you to become the person you want to be, and you will become that person, step by step.  You just have to do one thing.

…Do the right thing.

“Do the right thing, whenever possible.  It is always possible.”

“The book of life has no scrap pages, write with care.”                                             

Tom Thayer Picture

Tom Thayer

CEO

Thank you for coming to our website. It is my hope that when you put your mouse down and decide to take action for your facility needs, that we’ve given you enough information for you to make PSI your first call for your specialty contracting needs.

I formed PSI to provide a better, more polished product for our customers in the power and petrochemical industries. To provide “old school” service that was based upon a handshake, and where a service company does just that, provide service. Not only provide service, but provide only the best service, with spot-on pricing, punctuality, professionalism and utilizes a “service with a smile” approach. The company, much like myself has modest roots, remains humble in its demeanor and yet is very driven to succeed and be the very best at what we do.

Mike Bosse

Mike Bosse

Lead Technician

Mike has been with PSI since Late 2014, when he moved over to Billings, MT from Chicago to join our work family.

Mike has been working in the petrochemical industry since he was 19 and has developed quite a few specialty skills over the years. Mike’s certified in multiple PSI service lines such as Isolation/Hydros and torqueing and on-stream leak sealing.

“Bosse” as we refer to him, is another part of our very talented and exciting MT crews. Committed, caring and very personable, Mike is a favorite of our customers and is usually asked for by name when they call in for service work. We enjoy seeing Mike’s bright, smiling face every day around here. He just brings joy to everything he does and is a superb member of our Plant Services, Inc. family.

Sean Carney

Sean Carney

National Technical Operations Manager

Sean has over 13 years of specialty contracting experience and has been with PSI for over 10+ years. Sean started in this industry at a very young age, so despite barely being in his 30’s, Sean has collected decades of experience and has earned his right to manage all of PSI’s territory offices. Sean is a life-long Montana native and grew up in the farm fields just outside of Billings right near the PSI corporate office.

Sean has obtained training and certification in just about every service line PSI has to offer. From Leak Sealing to Hot Taps and Line Stops, Sean’s mastery of these services lines is the baseline that provides him the knowledge to lead our offices to provide only the pinnacle of services to our valued customers.

Sean has the unique background in that he apprenticed at PSI while he was in high school. Seeing things literally from the ground up, as well as working his way up with hard work, dedication and a zest for specialty contracting, Sean’s vision for the future of PSI sets us all up for success. Customer service is core to Sean’s beliefs, and he is our cheerleader to our troops that quality customer service is not easy but is worth it every time and is the only service acceptable here at PSI. Give Sean a call and see what he can do for your specialty needs.