!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> Streamline Training & Documentation: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

In today's world, full of distractions, it can be hard to find touchstones that provide focus and practical guidance for addressing the myriad challenges that can arise on any given day.

Of course, there is no single principle that answers all questions about how to respond to challenging people and events. Still, of all the personal rules you might adopt to help you get through the day -- while preserving healthy working relationships for the long haul -- none is more robust than "treat others with respect."

Before you ask, "What could be more obvious?" call to mind some of the work situations in which you were the one who was disrespected. In addition to arousing unhappiness and resentment, most likely the other person's attitude was a singular factor undermining progress toward accomplishing whatever needed doing. Of all the things you might have changed in order to make the task or project go more smoothly, I suspect that having the offending party accord you and anyone else involved garden-variety respect would be high on the list.

Which is exactly my point. Aside from the ethical issues involved in riding roughshod over others, there is so little slack in schedules nowadays that focusing on dealing with others in a way that maximizes attention to the work at hand, and minimizes interpersonal friction, is especially powerful for making rapid progress. That's why consistently respectful behavior is one of the hallmarks of a true professional.

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