Show Respect for Other People

It was when I was working in a part time position in parks and recreation, that I learned one of the most important lessons of my business career. The director was out of the building, but before he left, he told me that they were short on staff that week because a few full time employees were on vacation, and we were not going to be able to accommodate any special requests for Wilson Park.

The Wrong Thing to Do
As I was finishing up my administrative duties for the day, an elderly man walked in to my office. He told me that they had a senior citizens club picnic that was taking place the following day, and that several of the picnic tables in Wilson Park needed to be moved to accommodate the event. I took it upon myself to be the one to tell him that if his group wanted the tables moved, they would have to do it themselves. Well, this senior citizen really let me have it. He was irate to say the least. After listening to him for about five minutes, he left my office, and headed over to city hall to talk to Walter, the city manager. About thirty minutes later, Walter called me on the telephone and very professionally communicated to me that what, and how I said it to this senior citizen, was not the proper thing to do. He explained to me that it was a good idea to treat others, no matter how old they were, with respect.

People Skills
After listening to Walter, I realized the mistake I had made. By trying to make myself feel important, I did not make this senior citizen feel significant, but rather, I treated him with disrespect. The lesson I learned was that when you are dealing with a customer, no matter what the situation, keep calm and try to figure out a win-win solution. When you do that, the world will be a better place.


Tom Borg is president of Tom Borg Consulting, LLC. He is a business consultant, speaker, coach and author. He helps companies and organization become more profitable by showing them how to attract and retain their clients.