Where have good manners gone?

It seems that kids aren’t taught to be respectful and courteous. There’s a quote: “Courtesy costs nothing but buys things that are priceless.”

Where you work the supervisors might turn a blind eye to a co-worker who is lazy or rude or holds his co-workers in contempt. This happens wherever you go–whether in a union job or not.

I’m continuing in this vein in this blog entry because it’s imperative to be a team player on the job. Team players win Super Bowls. They impact the bottom line of the company in a positive way.

You’re there to carry out the mission of your employer whether they are in business to make money or are a non-profit geared to a social cause.

I talk about this because common courtesy is not common in today’s society.

I’ll end with one observation: why do people not say “Thank you” when I hold the door open for them as I’m exiting a building or open the door to let them in the building? I also wonder at how miserable a person must think their life is when I tell a bus driver or another person “Thank you. Good day” and they don’t respond.

You might think it doesn’t matter whether you’re rude or not. However right now the way most hiring is going for jobs you’ll be ruled out even before you set foot in person for an interview. You most likely won’t get an interview at all.

I’ll talk about the trend in hiring practices for jobs in the next blog entry.

Right now I implore you to have good manners. Like it or not, a supervisor often forms an impression of you within 15 minutes on your first day on the job.

I’ve supervised dozens of volunteers and interns so I know what I’m talking about.

Stay tuned for the next blog entry on hiring practices.