One of the guest stars on a recent episode of an Oprah show I watched about civility was PM Forni the author of a book called. Choosing Civility: The 25 Rules of Considerate Conduct.
Inspired by his 25 points, here I reveal a number of civil behaviours that can have an effect on your personal brand particularly in a workplace or career environment.
Respect other Peoples time. This was number one complaint on Oprah and many of her audience members admitted to being guilty of being late all the time. We’re all busy. It’s not all about you. Being constantly late for meetings or even social occasions is disrespectful.
Listen and pay attention. People like to be heard and have their opinion considered. People are peeved when they are interrupted mid sentence. If you really listen and let the other person do most of the talking they’ll think you are a wonderful conversationalist.
Keep it down and rediscover silence. In this instance I’m going to refer to the mobile phone. Common complaints are talking too loud, novelty/annoying ring tones, interrupting meetings, lunches etc by talking to the caller. Doesn’t hurt to turn it off occasionally.
Respect other people’s space. Particularly in an open office environment. Are you the one eating smelly food at your desk? Hot desk left neat and tidy? What’s the state of the fridge or kitchen area? Does your desk or place of work say organised professional?
Speak kindly. Good manners are simply kindness and care. It is a bit like the word thank you. I am sure you always do say thank you, but many others don’t. According to one of my readers, she was surprised to receive no acknowledgement from students when she wrote glowing references for them and one which helped a girl get the job of her dreams. Not a word. Do send thank you notes often.
Accept and give praise. A reader said, “I have just come away from my local Woolies where I encountered a really courteous and charming young man. I complimented him on his manners and told his boss too. I left several smiling faces.” Often we readily complain rather than compliment.
Some of these points have been compiled using comments from a number of Shine Communiqué readers. There are of course many more points to consider. Please keep your comments going. I encourage you to share your thoughts by posting a message on my blog.
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