The Performance Pro

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

TURNING THE TIDE IN OUR RUDE & CRUDE SOCIETY

How did we end up wallowing in the social verbal muck that we are in today? We hear it on the radio, we see it on our computers,televisions, and movies; we hear it when we are shopping and at work—and we are hearing it on the playgrounds. Crudeness, rudeness, and a downright lack of respect for others. What is even more astonishing, is that we somehow condone it by our silence. Being polite seems to be a lost art – or are we just getting too lazy to care?

We wonder why people can’t get along. It all comes down to one thing: Communication.

Let’s look at the basics: When was the last time you heard anyone say “Please”, or “Thank you”? And here’s one that seems to have been lost: “You’re welcome”. Imagine the difference in your day and the difference you would make in the day of others if you used those words whenever you could.

Some may use the excuse that they are just too time deprived and can’t take the time to be polite. Instead, I would suggest that being polite to others may be the most important thing one does all day. For relationship building, remember the old saying “You can catch more flies with honey than you can vinegar.”

If you want to be more effective or exercise your leadership skills -- or just make a difference--here’s your opportunity. Be polite. Raise the bar on yourself and set yourself apart from the Rude Crude Dudes – they’re just not funny anymore and their lack of manners is degrading to all of us.

3 Comments:

  • At 7:28 PM, Blogger Unknown said…

    I totally agree with co-workers lack of graciousness. Some of my co-workers requests are not out of line however it all depends on how they ask or e-mail you with their request. It is all about saying thank you and please. Not coming across as so demanding. I will be more than happy to help with a task if someone asks nicely.

     
  • At 7:08 AM, Blogger Mary Ann said…

    ...and let's not forget that politeness counts in e-mails too. It may be even more important there than in vocal exchanges because the recipient of the comment doesn't have the visual clues of the person's expression to help sort out whether it was a nice comment or not. I've worked for a few years with a fellow Recruiter in another city and had a very bad impression of her just because of the rather stilted, rushed way she has of writing e-mails - no "please" or "thank-you", etc. Then last year I got a chance to meet her in person and she is great! We got along very well and are now close friends. But thank goodness we met in person, because if I just had to go on her "e-mail personality", I would not be dealing with her as much, which would be a shame...

     
  • At 1:18 PM, Blogger jtstrick said…

    So true! As a store manager I assist 300-400 customers every day. Thirty percent won't even return a greeting. Fifty pecent don't say "hi", they just launch into their demands. Fifty percent (usually the same 50%) never thank me for helping them. While I try to treat everyone the same -who do you think I'll go the extra mile for?

     

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