What is civility?

It has to do with courtesy, politeness, and good manners.  It involves an active interst  in the well-being of others.  Civility is ancient.   It can be found in some form or another in texts of all religions and philosophical thoughts -Judaism, Christianity, Confucianism, Islam, Hinduism.

Consider the concept of treating others as you want to be treated.

 Christianity:   Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Judaism: “What you hate, do not do to anyone.”

Islam: “No one of you is a believer until he loves for   his brother what he loves for himself.”

Hinduism:  Do nothing to thy neighbor which thou                wouldst not have him do to thee.”

Buddhism:  “Hurt not others with that which pains  thyself.”

Sikhism:   "Treat others as you would be treated yourself.”

Confucianism:  “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”

If you have ever watched TV sitcom The Office you probably have a good idea of what political savvy is not about.  While the behaviors of The Office employees may seem funny on TV, in the real world of work these behaviors could kill your career or even get you fired. 

Successful supervisors have certain personal skills that make them stand out from the crowd of employees.  Those skills, often referred to as style, lead to self-confidence, which in turn causes others to have confidence in you.  This is fairly universal.  You must handle yourself and your job in a way that makes others want to be a part of your team.

Now I know it is is hot, hazy and humid but enough is enough!   I realize I am "old school" but please dress for success on the job and not the beach.   Sometimes it is best to cover up.

Thought:

·        There are big Ps (Politics) which equate to the politics of Congress, major corporations, etc.

·        There are also little Ps which equates to the environment in which you work.

Both are important.

This class knows where they are going and how they will get there.

Thank you for all the private conversations and the thank-you notes.

Carter G. Woodson was the son of former slaves.  Although he did not begin his formal education until he was twenty years old, he earned a high school diploma in West Virginia and bachelor and  master’s degrees from the University of Chicago in just a few years.  In 1912, Woodson became the second Black American to earn Ph.D. from Harvard University.  The first was W.E.B. DuBois.

In 1915, Recognizing the depth of information on the accomplishments of Black Americans, Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. 

In 1926, Dr. Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro History Week, which corresponded with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.  In 1976, this week long celebration was expanded to the entire month of February to National Black History month.  This celebration honors Dr. Woodson’s pioneering efforts to emphasize the significant contributions of Black Americans to the history and culture of the U.S.A.

Happy Holidays!

What did you say??   Diversity is more than race and gender.   I got the message across.  Thank you.  It meant a lot to me to hear you identify the concepts/ideas/things that you got of the one day diversity session.

Again, Thank you for your gift of feedback.

Lady Di

Again, thank you for the Feedback

Lady Di speaks up!!!

In an earlier blog I discussed the three B’s of dress at work.  I stated that organizations did not want employees exposing the three Bs (boobs, belly and butt) at work.  Today, I am also adding the fourth B which is the back.  We don’t want to see your boobs, belly, butt or back.  Many young women in particular like to expose their back to others at work.  Most have tattoos either on the shoulder or at the small of the back (just above the natural waistline).  Usually when the small of the back is shown, the top of the panty (commonly a thong) is also showing.   There are also some men who wear their pants so low that they expose their underwear or the crack of their butts.  Please, please stop it !!!  It is just too much to show at work.  These looks give the impression that you are unprofessional and that you don’t take your job too seriously.

On the same note, we are coming into the season of wearing sandals and all sorts of open toe shoes.  Please, please clean up your feet.  No one wants to look at unkempt, dirty toenails and crusty heels. 

Another no-no --- no flip flops at work.  While flip flops may be great for home and the beach, they are not appropriate for work.  In fact, flip flops are not appropriate for a visit to the White House.  Check out the sign outside the West Wing at http://www.ehow.com/how_4671510_tour-west-wing-white-house.html

Cubicle Etiquette

I am horrified by the stories my clients have confessed to me regarding their employees working in cubicles, like employees cutting their toenails, painting their fingernails, and discussing very intimate personal business on the telephone. 

Cubicles are now very common in office settings.   Many of us work in office cubicles or other open environments.   An employee can spend 40 hours per week in a cubicle.  However, studies show that most workers are not thrilled with the idea of working in a cube because of the lack of privacy and the increased noise.

Life in a cube can present challenges.  One of the challenges is how coworkers with different personalities and working styles and from different cultures can work successfully in a cubicle environment. Some people are more extraverted and need to talk to others to get their energy.  Others are more introverted and prefer to work all day with very little talking.  They get their energy from within.

Cubicles offer more of a psychological than a physical barrier between employee workspaces.  It is hard to keep noise, smells, and other disturbances from spilling over the partitions.  But if people realize that they must minimize their “spill-over,” life in cubicles can be easier and the workplace can be very productive.

In cubicle environments, "common" courtesy is very important.  A little bit of politeness goes a long way toward smoothing problems. Everybody should model good behavior and expect it from co-workers.   Supervisors can play an important role in setting the tone, creating policies for healthy office culture, and, when necessary, negotiating conflicts between employees.

Here are some ways that you can exercise proper cubicle etiquette and make your work environment more conducive to getting work done. 

PRIVACY

• Conceptualize invisible walls and doors.  Do not talk or holler over the top of your cubicle.
• Never enter someone’s cubicle without permission. Do not barge in and begin talking. Behave as though cubicles have doors. Do not enter before you have eye contact “permission” from the occupant.
• Try not to sneak up behind someone in a cube. Announce yourself at their doorway or lightly knock on the wall.
• Post a sign or flag at your cube entrance to signal when you can be interrupted. Avoid making eye contact with people if you don’t want to be interrupted.
• Don’t “prairie-dog” over the tops of cubes or peek in as you walk past each one.  Keep your eyes straight ahead.   
• Don’t loiter outside someone’s cube while you wait for him or her to finish a phone call. Come back at another time.
• Never read someone’s computer screen or comment on conversations you’ve overheard. Resist answering a question you overheard asked in the cube next to you!
• Keep your hands off a cube dweller’s desk. Just because there’s no door doesn’t mean you can help yourself to their paper clips.
• Kick others out gracefully.  Let others know you have work to finish.
• Respect quiet – think before interrupting someone who appears to be deep in thought
• Don’t discuss confidential and personal information in your cubicle.  General Rule:  Would you want this information on the internet or the PM news?  If not, don’t discuss it in your cubicle; find a more private space instead.
• If you are having a break or lunch with someone else, do so in the break room, not in your cubicle. 
• Do your grooming in the rest room, i.e. do not trim your eyebrows, beard, nails or floss your teeth in your cube

In Blog #5 Lady Dianne will share some more tips on Cubicle Etiquette.  Stay tuned.