No Excuse for Bad Behavior

The world is changing around us and sadly it seems that poor behavior in public spaces is becoming the rule and not the exception. The word “infringe” seems to be more common than ever before, perhaps it’s our increasing world population, habitual narcissistic actions and behaviors, decreasing attention spans or increasing pressure to participate. More than ever we’re experiencing and encouraging a society of very bad manners. From business to personal we need to remember there’s no excuse for bad behavior. Let’s all remember the basic principles we were taught at age five.

Treat Others The Way You Want To Be Treated

We must first reflect and ask ourselves, How would I like to be treated? Every brand, business and individual should ask themselves this question. Not only will it help to foster an environment that promotes productivity but will also encourage humility and promotes good behavior.

A manager or coach can apply this principle to encourage positive reinforcement. There is no question that in the game of life mistakes will be made along the way. It is in these instances that a manager can demonstrate their true net worth. Helping to correct a mistake like a poorly crafted schema in an IT deployment or noticing constant off-the-mark midfield passes in a soccer game, is no doubt valuable. However, the real value of the coach is both finding the problem and promoting a solution that can be delivered in a professional manner, so all parties come out ahead. By simply asking the question, How would I like to be treated in this situation? can help deliver these results.

What Comes Around Goes Around

It’s no doubt that our society is moving at a faster pace than ever before and we seem to be losing touch with what’s going on around us. Unidirectional and bidirectional information flows have conformed our society into IDIOTS. Consider yourself waiting at a stoplight to change (unidirectional) while responding to an e-mail (bidirectional). Happens all the time—right? No big deal. Most of us are spending our idle time tuned in to our devices and tuned out of our surroundings, and it’s accepted because of increasing expectations of productivity and results—but supporting a propensity to a societal shift toward isolation and self-absorption.

With approximately seven billion people on the planet, it’s wise for us all to question our actions, and remember to treat others the way we want to be treated. The next time you’re at a stoplight, I encourage you to put down the phone and look at your surroundings, turn up the radio, or engage in conversation with the person next to you. The next time you’re giving critical feedback or perhaps engaged in a negative conversation, ask yourself, How would I like to be treated in this situation? The next time you see someone struggling to put their bag in the overhead, a “May I help you?” will show good manners (hopefully leading by example), fostering a more welcoming and respectful place to hang our hats. Remember there’s no excuse for bad behavior.