What about some respect?
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
By Michel Hogan
There are quite a few people who believe that the only value that matters is respect, and that everything flows from that. While I don’t go that far, I do think it is pretty fundamental to keeping things in some sort of working order.
The Republicans in America recently nominated someone for vice president in the coming election, and without going into her politics, there was widespread agreement that her experience was a bit lacking for the demands of such an important role. However for me her nomination raised a different question.
What does it say about the respect that the Republican party holds for that office, and for the importance of government in general, that they would use that position as a vehicle for a stunt meant to distract people from the serious issues that face that country?
That’s not a question that I think needs an answer here – but at a micro level it again raises the issue of how our actions show what we believe.
Respect is one of those things that acts like a revolving door; you’ve got to give it to get it. And there are lots of things everyday that communicate whether you operate on that principle.
Just for starters:
- Do you show up for meetings on time, or call if you are going to be late?
- Do you pay attention at events or in a meeting or when just talking to someone?
- Are you present, not checking your phone?
- Do you look at the other person, listen to what they are saying and give your best energy to responding?
- Do you acknowledge things when you get them? (I don’t know how many times I have sent something in response to a request, usually via email, and then been forced to follow up and make sure they got it.)
- Do you get back to someone when you say you will? (It takes time to put together proposals, quotes and information. There is nothing worse than making the effort, being told by someone they will look it over and get back to you, and then never hearing a word.)
Lack of respect shows up in lots of little ways. It doesn’t need to rise to the level of choosing someone obviously unqualified for an important role (what makes people qualified is a whole other topic).
Everyone is busy. We all have lots on our plates and it can be hard to remember to send that email saying, “thanks, yes I got the information you sent”.
But doing it makes all the difference. What you are doing isn’t more important than what I am doing, so let’s bring a little civility back into the way we deal with each other and show a little respect!
See you next week!
Alignment is Michel's passion. Through her work with Brandology here in Australia, and Brand Alignment Group in the United States, she helps organisations align who they are, with what they do and say to build more authentic and sustainable brands.
For more Cultural Leadership blogs, click here.
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