Sunday, April 1
Treat people with respect
ON-THE-JOB ACTIVITIES
In their book, Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge, Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus suggest that before managers can treat others with dignity and respect, they must possess or develop positive self-regard. To achieve positive self-regard, they say:
· Recognize your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses.
· Continue to work and develop your skills and talents.
· Learn to discern the fit between your strengths and weaknesses and your organizational needs.
Bennis and Nanus observed that once managers develop positive self-regard, they demonstrate positive "other-regard". Here are some guidelines to consider:
· Accept people as they are, not as you would like them to be. Try to understand what other people are like on their terms.
· Treat those you are close to with the same courteous attention that you extend to strangers and acquaintances.
· Give people the benefit of the doubt.
· Apologize to people when you have hurt or ignored them.
· Be objective and nonevaluative in your day-to-day dealings with people.
· Confront issues, not people.
· Minimize sarcasm. Be aware of instances in which you might be perceived as insensitive.
· Allow people to save face.
· Foster an environment of openness and trust.
· Be honest, yet respectful.
In their book, Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge, Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus suggest that before managers can treat others with dignity and respect, they must possess or develop positive self-regard. To achieve positive self-regard, they say:
· Recognize your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses.
· Continue to work and develop your skills and talents.
· Learn to discern the fit between your strengths and weaknesses and your organizational needs.
Bennis and Nanus observed that once managers develop positive self-regard, they demonstrate positive "other-regard". Here are some guidelines to consider:
· Accept people as they are, not as you would like them to be. Try to understand what other people are like on their terms.
· Treat those you are close to with the same courteous attention that you extend to strangers and acquaintances.
· Give people the benefit of the doubt.
· Apologize to people when you have hurt or ignored them.
· Be objective and nonevaluative in your day-to-day dealings with people.
· Confront issues, not people.
· Minimize sarcasm. Be aware of instances in which you might be perceived as insensitive.
· Allow people to save face.
· Foster an environment of openness and trust.
· Be honest, yet respectful.
