Tuesday, December 1, 2015

A little Respect

Every so often someone is sent to my office because they can't get along with their co-workers on one of the outside crews.

They argue. They put one another down. They talk about the other person's lack of skill. They don't know how to do the job right. They have a lot of reasons for not getting along.

When I ask why they have this communication problem they say they don't know. They can't keep their mouth shut. They lose patience. They get frustrated and blow up. Or they rationalize and blame it on the other person.

Usually I tell them I'm surprised when I hear about their poor communication. Because when they talk to me they're polite. They're respectful. And they're gentlemen. And when they're around me we always get along.

My point is that they can control how they speak to others. The same skills that let them get along with one in authority is the same skill that will help them get along with anyone.

If we treat others as if they're the most important person in the world we'll likely never have a communication problem. That's because most everyone responds to respect and kindness.

If we talk to everyone like we talk to the so-called "important" people we'll much further along in life. And we won’t be fighting with anyone.

Remember, we all like to feel important.  And respect if one way to make others feel that way.