I always have the belief that I try to treat people the way that I wanted to be treated. However, when someone stabs me in the back, all bets are off. So anyone who maybe had a problem with me when I worked with him probably wasn’t nice to me when they should have (sorry, Norma).
A few weeks back, I talked with someone I worked with at a law firm many years ago and he brought up a partner who broke away and started his own practice. 23 years later, I still remember how that partner wasn’t nice and he was really a bully when there really was no need to be that way. The person I talked to agreed with me and I think the point is that when you’re nasty to people and fellow employees, people will remember you.
One time, I was talking to another attorney about an ERISA attorney who taught me in law school. I said that I’m really still peeved at this well-respected attorney because 20 years ago, I sent him an email asking for employment suggestions and to this day, I’ve never heard back. This attorney told me how this well-respected attorney messed up a great referral opportunity by accusing one of the plan providers of malfeasance when there was none.