Guilty before or after

It’s the day after Christmas. Feeling guilty yet?

• Feeling guilty before an event is a sign we might be missing out on something great. This is “good guilt” and can motivate us to say “yes” to great new opportunities.
• Feeling guilty after an event is a sign we might have made a mistake. This “bad guilt” means we either made a bad decision or that the person (or company) we trusted took us for granted.

Companies should leverage “good guilt” and avoid “bad guilt” at all costs. Most get this the wrong way around. Does yours?