Excuse me!
Manners used to matter. My mama said her mama "wouldn't have minded if I'd kissed every boy at the cotillion as long as I had my gloves on." Lately, I'm wondering when everybody took their gloves off? I'm afraid good manners, especially in the business world, have gone the way of the cotillion. Phone calls go unanswered, emails are ignored. Introductions are not made. And common courtesy just isn't very common.
A case in point: The CEO of a major company does not respond to a letter (from another CE0), a follow-up phone call or subsequent e-mails about hosting a charitable function at his place of business. What, he doesn't have a secretary?
Another CEO who has initiated a business collaboration suddenly disappears, into the ether. He doesn't call. He will not write. He won't even Tweet. Sure, stuff happens, but he's a CEO, for goodness sake. He can't say, "Sorry, not now."? Or even, "Sorry, not ever." ?
And when we do communicate, where is the love? How curt and abrasive have small disputes become now that we're all a little pinched, one way or another. When was the last time a stranger at a business gathering stepped up, shook hands and said, "How do you do? " How often are you left shifting feet while your colleague fails to make an introduction? And how many minutes-adding-up-to-hours have we sat, waiting for the three or four stragglers who just can't get to a meeting on time?
For my Mama, and her Mama, I just like to say, "Watch it, bud." Manners tell and bad ones will come back to get you. Be responsive. Be courteous. Be on time. And, hey, keep your gloves on.
A case in point: The CEO of a major company does not respond to a letter (from another CE0), a follow-up phone call or subsequent e-mails about hosting a charitable function at his place of business. What, he doesn't have a secretary?
Another CEO who has initiated a business collaboration suddenly disappears, into the ether. He doesn't call. He will not write. He won't even Tweet. Sure, stuff happens, but he's a CEO, for goodness sake. He can't say, "Sorry, not now."? Or even, "Sorry, not ever." ?
And when we do communicate, where is the love? How curt and abrasive have small disputes become now that we're all a little pinched, one way or another. When was the last time a stranger at a business gathering stepped up, shook hands and said, "How do you do? " How often are you left shifting feet while your colleague fails to make an introduction? And how many minutes-adding-up-to-hours have we sat, waiting for the three or four stragglers who just can't get to a meeting on time?
For my Mama, and her Mama, I just like to say, "Watch it, bud." Manners tell and bad ones will come back to get you. Be responsive. Be courteous. Be on time. And, hey, keep your gloves on.
Comment
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Comment by Patrick E. Randolph on June 8, 2009 at 12:58pm -
In response to RubyTues comment on AOL speak, I have been known to pick up a dictionary (I find American Heritage works best) and bludgeon a person until they are reduced to pulp for sending me an email that reads; OMG LOL U2?
I totally agree that this use of popular shorthand has no place in business communications, as well as most other forms.
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Comment by RubyTues on June 5, 2009 at 2:49pm - I want to know when it became proper to use AOL speak in business communications. It is really so much more difficult to type "you" than "U". I refuse to sound out a message to try to figure out what it says.
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Comment by Joey Sharpe on June 4, 2009 at 8:12am - AMEN!!
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Comment by Julie Zoller on June 3, 2009 at 9:30am
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One may not be wealthy enough to purchase a bar of soap or a tank of gas - however the use of good manners is totally a freebie and will definitely get you further than the soap or gas.
Yes ma'am.
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Comment by Patrick E. Randolph on June 2, 2009 at 2:16pm
- It's funny that in the military you address officers by their rank or as Sir or Mam. Even if you were to say "You are being an ass, Sir" would be considered proper.
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