1. Don’t talk about people, talk to people.
2. Communicate in a respectful manner. If you are too mad to be respectful, calm down before addressing the problem.
3. Yelling is not acceptable.
4. Do not “air our dirty laundry” in public. If you have a problem with someone, speak with him or her behind closed doors.
5.. Be mindful of who is listening. Close doors or lower your voice (or the volume on your speakerphone) as necessary.
6. Don’t be a “bully” to others, particularly those in jobs subordinate to us. We address problems with the appropriate person in an appropriate manner..
7. Don’t preach desired behavior; rather practice desired behavior. People will form their opinions of us not just in terms of how we treat them, but how they see us treating others. Additionally, remember that our team members are our internal customers. They will treat our external customers the way that we treat them.
8. Do not perpetuate problems through gossip. Just to make sure we’re on the same page, gossip is defined as, “idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others” or “a report (often malicious) about the behavior of other people”. Do not spread rumors. Address issues then move on.
9. Do not speak negatively of others, of the company, or of the company policies to those “outside the team” or to other team members.
10. Always ask these questions when a problem occurs:
• “Why did this problem occur? Why did this person make a mistake?”
• “What could I have done to prevent this problem? Was it a lack of communication on my part?”
• “Did I fully explain my expectations?”
• “How would I want to be treated in this situation?”
Our job is always going to be tough, with unexpected crises popping up, but we do not need to make it tougher by bringing unnecessary drama and stress into the workplace. Let us all do our part to reach the goals of the organization, and help to change corporate culture one person at a time, starting with ourselves.
Regards,
