Today, Seth Godin had an excellent blog called Another Chance to Start Over. The blog shared the following wisdom:  
Every day that you begin with a colleague, a partner, a customer... it might as well be a fresh start. There's little upside in two strikes, a grudge, probation. When we give people the benefit of the doubt, we have a chance to engage with their best selves.
If someone can't earn that fresh start, by all means, make the choice not to work with them again. Ask your customer to move on, recommend someone who might serve them better. But for everyone else, today is another chance to be great.
I agree completely and have learned a lot in both scenarios.
Some clients, colleagues, employers, acquaintances, neighbors and fellow humans are the type that give us one chance. They want one certain thing, in a certain exact way that is in their minds—thoughts that we can't often read and that are not often shared (or shared in an easily understood manner). Sometimes they aren't sure themselves what they want. Sometimes what they think they wanted changes during a short time period.
If you provide it and do a good job reading their minds or translating, you're good in their books.
Do it differently or ask too many questions along the way that you were not asked to ask, and many of this type get uneasy, worried and uncomfortable. Get it off a little or completely wrong for any unplanned reasons and you're gone, off the list and so on.
Others, however, will offer a second or possibly (rare) third chance. These people see the bigger picture, and if you did enough right, they see the potential or the partnership/engagement curve that is needed to do continuous excellent work together. These are the people we want to work with and associate with.  
That first type? It's actually a good thing for both sides they are saying goodbye. If you REALLY messed up, never listened, did not follow any direction and risked a life or an organization's entire future by following your way or the highway.... you have other issues you need to work on and they were right to change partners. But 9 times times out of 10, they don't really want your thoughts, opinions, advice, help or counsel. And it's a bad match anyway.
Many of them prefer an autocratic experience telling others what and how to do something. They may take offense at well meant positive, constructive ideas. And they are often, not so coincidently, individuals who don't want to pay or give any more for your help than they ABSOLUTELY need to. It's based on how much or little they value the entire industry/service/expertise you are in, and it's what they believe it's worth—whether you're a consultant, employee, widget-maker, babysitter or even a volunteer (paid in gratitude, friendship or recognition).
Life is not that long as we know. Sometimes business and personal relationships aren't meant to be, and that's neither right nor wrong. It just is. (Multiple studies over the years have shown that our core personalities are pretty much set by age 6!)
So what type are you, and do you want to stay that way? What type do you work with or associate with? And which partners of any type should you give a second chance to, and which should you walk away from, or agree to disagree with?
It's not always easy to decide. But the answers will likely help you find longer-term happiness, personal and business success and satisfaction.
John Senall is principal and founder of Mobile First Media and Digital Healthcom Group. He believes mistakes are good for us, and the best way to learn—but that we can avoid them quite a bit due to what we learned the last times. For more information, or to inquire about his consulting, speaking, training or business services, call 716-361-9124, emailjohn@mobilefirstmedia.com or send an inmail or LinkedIn connection request. Thanks for reading! :>)
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