Manners and Models
May 4, 2010 – 2:56 pmJust read a column by Peggy Post, director The Emily Post Institue (yes that Emily Post) entitled “Oh, Behave!”, AARP May/June.
It prompted me to think about business manners today, or the lack of them I should say. What sort of messages do we send young people today when they see our business leaders, government officials and politicians conducting themselves in very unmannerly ways? They yell; they curse; they mock each other; they call each other names; they look you in the eye and say “I didn’t do it and I promise not to do it again”; and most of them are the fifty plus crowd.
How can we serve as models to our young business and political leaders when most of what they see are instances like those above. Granted our society has and is changing. We are tech oriented; we have more people doing more things; we go at a faster pace; we have less control over events that impact us; we are global and deal in a variety of cultures; communication is instant. All of this at a time when rudeness and a lack of manners seem to be growing.
Like Ms. Post said, “…honesty, respect and consideration … never change regardless of the political, social, or cultural landscape. These ethics are the foundation for the manners that lubricate our society’”. Maybe the fifty something crowd should take a little more proactive stance. We need to raise the bar on how we treat each other, not lower it. Next time we see offensive behaviour let’s remind ourselves and others, not all of us were raised that way.
