“The phrase “don’t shoot the messenger” traces its origin back to ancient Greece. In ancient times, messengers were sent to impart official news, and these messengers sometimes incurred the wrath of the one receiving the bad news.” (CoPilot)

In 1986, after five years in management with a major insurance company, I changed my career path by taking over a medium-sized property and casualty agency with the same company. The outgoing agent was retiring, and I was still in my twenties. I soon found out that in business there are many ‘shades’ of the truth. There really aren’t, but it seemed the ‘shade’ benefited whoever told the story best.

One of my early experiences that taught me a lesson on “don’t shoot the messenger” was a small business owner who called in to the office shortly after I became the agent. He asked about his business company’s renewal. I searched the files (before computers) and could find nothing on his company. He said he had been paying his premium every year, but I couldn’t find any policy. I called the home office and they also had no record. I called my manager and he could find nothing. It appeared that the former agent had taken premium payments but had never really put the proper coverage in force. Where had that money gone? I can surmise but I really didn’t know for sure. I called the business owner up and explained to him that my company had no record of his business but assured him that I would get right on it. I spent the day evaluating the business, came up with a premium and headed to his office. What transpired caught me off guard. I thought I was going to be treated as a welcome guest for correcting a problem that the prior agent clearly did.

When I sat down and reviewed the coverage, the business owner smiled and nodded. Then I showed him the cost of the coverage. His smile dropped, and he became angry. As close as I can remember, he loudly told me this.

“That’s outrageous! That is more than double what I paid last year. No way I am going to pay that. The other agent got me such a better deal.”

I was shocked. “Sure” I replied, “but you had no coverage!”

For some reason, he thought that half-price with no coverage was a better deal than twice the price with coverage. I walked out the door without a policy in force as he vented his anger toward me. I remember thinking, “Don’t shoot the messenger! I’m trying to help.”

In our lives, the messengers delivering bad news come from all walks of our lives. Our family members are sometimes the messengers. Our religious, educational or political leaders are sometimes messengers of bad news or news we don’t want to hear. Let us ‘shoot’ them can often be our solution. After all, ‘shooting the messenger’ is the end all to thinking about our problems.

I left that business owner’s office that day, and I’m sure he got some anger off his chest by chewing me out. But I don’t think letting off steam at me that day would have helped him if his business burned down the next day. No, ‘shooting the messenger’ is often just shooting ourselves!