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U.S. Workplace 2009: Common Courtesies/Sense Gone By the Wayside?
Jenkintown, PA
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it." - Warren Buffet
No employee would ever dream of shouting at his boss to accuse him of lying, especially during a team meeting.
Yet, that's pretty much what happened recently when South Carolina Senator Joe Wilson yelled, "You Lie" during President Obama's address to Congress. Yes, he apologized directly to the President's office afterward, but not to his peers. And, Senator Wilson received a formal rebuke by the House of Representatives for this omission.
Quite probably, he would have been fired if his job was in a corporate setting. Of course, it remains to be seen if his constituents won't "fire" him but not re-electing him.
Another recent example of poor etiquette involved Kanye West, who also exhibiting unparalleled rudeness, when he grabbed the microphone during Taylor Swift's music video award acceptance speech.
It doesn't matter what he thinks – Mr. West may have even been accurate in his video critique – he had no right to interrupt a fellow musician who had been given center stage to bask in her accomplishment.
Again, apologies followed this act of incivility, with Mr. West appearing on TV shows and posting his remorse online.
Then there's the on-court antics by tennis star Serena Williams during the prestigious U.S. Open. Ms. Williams let loose an expletive-filled rant against a line judge who called a foot fault.
Once again, Ms. Williams was fairly quick to apologize for her inappropriate actions. Thankfully, this behavior resulted in an immediate punishment – a penalty which cost Ms. Williams the semi-final match.
September sure was a month of silliness!
Now, we have October, already shaping up to full of "please forgive me" fodder -- with David Letterman's mea culpa about having workplace romances with subordinates, after a related extortion attempt ... just the latest workplace-related incidence requiring an apology.
What the actions of Senator Wilson, Mr. West, Ms. Williams and David Letterman, suggest – as do the many other instances of appalling behavior by non-famous, everyday professionals -- is that there is a lack of common courtesies and common sense rampant in America today.
The financial industry website Horse's Mouth suggested at the end of September that, "The recent spate of people behaving badly is a good indication that the economy has reached a point of maximum suffering."
If we truly want to win over our customers and work efficiently with colleagues, it is essential we pay
attention to some common courtesies
No employee would ever dream of shouting at his boss to accuse him of lying, especially during a team meeting.
Yet, that's pretty much what happened recently when South Carolina Senator Joe Wilson yelled, "You Lie" during President Obama's address to Congress. Yes, he apologized directly to the President's office afterward, but not to his peers. And, Senator Wilson received a formal rebuke by the House of Representatives for this omission.
Quite probably, he would have been fired if his job was in a corporate setting. Of course, it remains to be seen if his constituents won't "fire" him but not re-electing him.
Another recent example of poor etiquette involved Kanye West, who also exhibiting unparalleled rudeness, when he grabbed the microphone during Taylor Swift's music video award acceptance speech.
It doesn't matter what he thinks – Mr. West may have even been accurate in his video critique – he had no right to interrupt a fellow musician who had been given center stage to bask in her accomplishment.
Again, apologies followed this act of incivility, with Mr. West appearing on TV shows and posting his remorse online.
Then there's the on-court antics by tennis star Serena Williams during the prestigious U.S. Open. Ms. Williams let loose an expletive-filled rant against a line judge who called a foot fault.
Once again, Ms. Williams was fairly quick to apologize for her inappropriate actions. Thankfully, this behavior resulted in an immediate punishment – a penalty which cost Ms. Williams the semi-final match.
September sure was a month of silliness!
Now, we have October, already shaping up to full of "please forgive me" fodder -- with David Letterman's mea culpa about having workplace romances with subordinates, after a related extortion attempt ... just the latest workplace-related incidence requiring an apology.
What the actions of Senator Wilson, Mr. West, Ms. Williams and David Letterman, suggest – as do the many other instances of appalling behavior by non-famous, everyday professionals -- is that there is a lack of common courtesies and common sense rampant in America today.
The financial industry website Horse's Mouth suggested at the end of September that, "The recent spate of people behaving badly is a good indication that the economy has reached a point of maximum suffering."
I say it doesn't matter why people are behaving so badly, recession or not, enough is enough. We all need to improve our everyday manners and interactions – and ensure our behavior is beyond reproach.
If we truly want to win over our customers and work efficiently with colleagues, it is essential we pay
attention to some common courtesies
The first reminder is that it's OK to disagree, but not to be argumentative or rude about expressing your differing views.
Senator Wilson should have found a different time and place to vent his frustrations with perceived inaccuracies of President Obama's health insurance plans. And, Kanye West could have tweeted or blogged about his opinions.
Neither man should have stolen the limelight to express their views in such a rude manner.
And, whether the line judge was right or wrong to call the foul, Ms. Williams is a professional tennis player – emphasis on the word professional – who should act accordingly.
Being on one's best behavior in politics and sports – or during music video award show – is also applicable to the workplace.
Although not rocket science or technically exciting, common courtesies do make a difference in the relationships we create and the impressions we make – with clients and colleagues.
A telling consequence of bad business etiquette: The Research Institute of America reported that 96 percent of customers never complain about discourteous professionals, but 91 percent specifically decide not to do business with companies who have in some way offended them.
A 2007 OfficeTeam study focused on personal relationships in the workplace. The conclusion of this study was that being a solid performer is only part of the equation. Even if you are experienced at your job, anticipating your boss's every need and putting in overtime, you won't climb the proverbial corporate ladder unless you build solid relationships with coworkers and managers. Mastering the inner workings of workplace protocol is crucial for professionals at all levels, whether they are starting a new job or have been with a company for 10 years.
Here is my "Sweet 16 List of Manner Basics" that even an elementary school student can master:
1. Treat all people with respect, no matter their position.
2. Watch your language.
3. Watch what you tweet, text and otherwise blog or post online.
4. Pay attention to common courtesies, like saying "please" and "thank you"; "hello" and "goodbye"
5. Smile and look -- and be -- interested in others.
6. Open doors (regardless of gender).
7. Listen to others.
8. Introduce yourself and others.
9. Be helpful.
10. Respect people's time.
11. Pick up after yourself at home, work and when visiting others.
12. Compliment people – it costs nothing and pays off with good relationships.
13. Avoid gossiping.
14. Don't hold private conversations in public places (on cell phones or face-to-face)
15. Write thank-you notes.
16. Do what you say you will do.
These manner reminders will help you serve your customers and your colleagues.
Courtesy does count!
Senator Wilson should have found a different time and place to vent his frustrations with perceived inaccuracies of President Obama's health insurance plans. And, Kanye West could have tweeted or blogged about his opinions.
Neither man should have stolen the limelight to express their views in such a rude manner.
And, whether the line judge was right or wrong to call the foul, Ms. Williams is a professional tennis player – emphasis on the word professional – who should act accordingly.
Being on one's best behavior in politics and sports – or during music video award show – is also applicable to the workplace.
Although not rocket science or technically exciting, common courtesies do make a difference in the relationships we create and the impressions we make – with clients and colleagues.
A telling consequence of bad business etiquette: The Research Institute of America reported that 96 percent of customers never complain about discourteous professionals, but 91 percent specifically decide not to do business with companies who have in some way offended them.
A 2007 OfficeTeam study focused on personal relationships in the workplace. The conclusion of this study was that being a solid performer is only part of the equation. Even if you are experienced at your job, anticipating your boss's every need and putting in overtime, you won't climb the proverbial corporate ladder unless you build solid relationships with coworkers and managers. Mastering the inner workings of workplace protocol is crucial for professionals at all levels, whether they are starting a new job or have been with a company for 10 years.
Here is my "Sweet 16 List of Manner Basics" that even an elementary school student can master:
1. Treat all people with respect, no matter their position.
2. Watch your language.
3. Watch what you tweet, text and otherwise blog or post online.
4. Pay attention to common courtesies, like saying "please" and "thank you"; "hello" and "goodbye"
5. Smile and look -- and be -- interested in others.
6. Open doors (regardless of gender).
7. Listen to others.
8. Introduce yourself and others.
9. Be helpful.
10. Respect people's time.
11. Pick up after yourself at home, work and when visiting others.
12. Compliment people – it costs nothing and pays off with good relationships.
13. Avoid gossiping.
14. Don't hold private conversations in public places (on cell phones or face-to-face)
15. Write thank-you notes.
16. Do what you say you will do.
These manner reminders will help you serve your customers and your colleagues.
Courtesy does count!
Marjorie Brody, CSP, CPAE, PCC
Founder & Fearless Leader
BRODY Professional Development
Jenkintown, PA
215-376-5082
