Commentary

Why Manners Still Matter, Maybe More Than Ever

  • by , Op-Ed Contributor, October 14, 2015

Mind your manners, three simple words of wisdom your parents and grandparents implored you to follow in your youth, are words everyone still needs to live by. They might just be more important than ever in the fast-paced world in which we work.

We all receive a daily barrage of emails and texts. And, social platforms chronicle our every move. What we say and do can spread like wildfire, so harkening back to this mantra should be part of our daily routine.

Like it or not, manners reflect you and your company. Good manners shouldn’t be reserved for just clients and superiors. Manners in dealing with everyday colleagues and acquaintances are also critical. After all, the average worker spends north of 45 hours a week with their coworkers. In the open-space environment in which we all typically work these days, bad manners can quickly create conflicts. While bad manners – from being an open-mouth chewer or a desk karaoke superstar – can annoy your pod mates, good manners can just as quickly defuse a potentially sticky situation. When manners become a part of the company culture, the workplace is friendlier, more collegial and more productive. There is no doubt that good manners are contagious.

advertisement

advertisement

Saying good morning, please and thank you doesn’t take a lot of effort. Nor does holding the door open for the person coming through the door after you or smiling at someone you pass in the hall nearly every day and ignore. Simple acts of kindness can go far in building relationships. People are much more inclined to help kind people. We’re all busy, but writing a note to say you’re going to be five minutes late to a meeting should be common practice, not an odd occurrence. So should rereading an email before you hit send to make sure that the tone isn’t unnecessarily curt or rude.

There are even holidays in place to celebrate acts of kindness. “Do Something Nice Day” was just celebrated Oct. 5. It was followed Oct. 7 with “World Smile Day.” The intent of the day is to do a simple act of kindness or help one person to smile. That’s it.

Don’t worry if these celebrations passed you by. “World Kindness Day” is coming up Nov. 13. It encourages us to simply create a nicer, better world. A little bit of humanity can go a long way. Will it change the world? Maybe not in the bigger picture of climate change and financial crises, but who’s to say what can happen when you make just one person’s day a little bit brighter. Why not find out? 

1 comment about "Why Manners Still Matter, Maybe More Than Ever ".
Check to receive email when comments are posted.
  1. brenda mckenna from BCM Media, LLC, October 14, 2015 at 4:19 p.m.

    Ken,
    Great post!  I agree completely.

Next story loading loading..