Never Too Busy for Courtesy

By Pam Hadder

The Blame Game
Some blame it on technology, some blame it on the fast pace of living, and some blame it on an uncertain economic future, but basic courtesy is falling by the wayside - on that point most of us can agree!  You will have your own examples, but maybe you can relate to some of these: no response to emails, voice mail hell versus living voices, and service people who begin talking before you can communicate your needs.  At SWJ, we still believe that basic courtesy is essential, so regardless of the underlying causes, we are never too busy or too jaded for basic courtesy.  Not only does courtesy assist with efficient use of time and resources, courtesy is noticed and appreciated and it builds collegial relationships; whether by digital communication, by phone or in person.  Committing to basic courtesy shows our respect for others and that we appreciate their time and contribution.  Basic courtesy is the first vehicle we use to acknowledge other human beings - it tells others that they matter.

Everything New is Old Again
It's not NEW - the trend began several years ago.  SWJ used to send out seasonal promo items to key suppliers and clients.  Although we sent thousands, we could count the thank you responses on one hand! After years of this we have opted to support a select number of worthwhile community causes instead.  For example, donations to a local theatre group working for social justice, a pizza party for a core area daycare or educational support for a single parent.  We find that these small gestures of support are always acknowledged with a sincere thank you.  However, when we mail out correspondence of any kind - supplier client, personal or service - we are somewhat mystified as to why people do not acknowledge receipt. It takes repeated follow up by phone or email to cajole, or sometimes extrude, a response. We hate to use the dreaded "Request a Delivery Receipt" or "Request a Read Receipt" but sometimes, in a critical business context, we have to resort to robotic insistence for some acknowledgement.

Bucking the Trend
I recently read in an online forum that if we are frustrated by the epidemic lack of basic courtesy, we can address the problem by: a) committing to basic courtesy ourselves; and by b) embracing random acts of courtesy every day - such as opening a door for a busy parent with kids in tow, taking out garbage for an elderly or infirm neighbour, letting a car merge into a busy traffic lane, or stopping to allow pedestrians to safely cross a street versus rushing to turn our vehicles ahead of them.

WE Still Matter
Yes, we are all working harder with greater uncertainty - and yes, technology is training us all to be knee-jerk reactionaries who sometimes confuse social media with in-person realities. Rather than normalizing aggression and rudeness, consider that basic lesson of leadership; we are each capable of influence and our actions affect others, whether or not we consciously connect to or buy into those impactful realities.

One Ecosystem?

By Pam Hadder

ecosystem - n. a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment.

When we talk about ecology and ecosystems, thoughts typically turn to our natural surroundings - that is, the plants, animals and geography of a particular region. Sometimes we forget that we too are animals, and we don't think about how we factor into the larger picture. Human business exchanges, for example, not only affect the well-being of other people all over the planet, but they ultimately also impact world ecosystems. Like an infinite series of nested eggs or Russian dolls, each human action unfolds and causes multiple reactions; which in turn spawn their own expanding reality.

Consider also that business, marketing and the resulting profit or loss; the distribution of information, and the acquisition of material goods, are in themselves ecosystems: "the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment." Whether physical or electronic, we cannot deny the impact of humanity's workday activity.

We do not typically think of the global effects of our actions - we simply complete our link in the chain and start forming the next link. However, if we begin to study the relationships that result from our actions, we will discover how everything we do - every action; every word - is relevant to the global experience.

Sound complicated? Well, yes, it IS terribly complicated, and that's not all - compound all of these factors with complex layers of technology, culture, personality and communication style, and the result is a six dimensional, all-encompassing cloud, simultaneously engaging all of our senses and, at some point, connecting to the natural habitats of Earth. And what happens when elements are added or removed from any established system? For every answer; for every solution, a proliferation of new questions ensues!

How then do we address such a massive, gnarly ball of co-mingled infinity? The answer is SIMPLY, HONESTLY, and with a great deal of CARE. Every moment matters, even if we do not fully appreciate just how spectacularly huge our realm of responsibility stretches.

The Popular Voice

By Pam Hadder

We are riding the wave of technological change -- no doubt about it. Apple's release of the iPad tablet in 2010 had us all thinking of the impact on how we do business, communicate, and share information. Starry-eyed and hopeful, we considered the ease-of-use and portability and where it could work for us.

And of course, before even purchasing the device, we immediately anticipated the next iPad version -- hoping it has some phone functionality, Skype aside! It was hard not to get a little App-happy if not with the iPad, with the zippy little iPhone, closely tailed by all of the wannabe "smart phones" that flooded the market in its wake.

Social media, combined with smart technologies, has allowed individuals to have their say, interact with others and generate a buzz, with immediacy and in real time. Some of the repercussions have not been positive -- consider crimes recorded and shared; cyber stalking, cyber bullying, over-exposure, and just plain old TMI (too much information); not to mention the annoyances of text-a-lot types on the commute, on the street, at the gym and in business meetings.

As with wine and chocolate, in Facebook, Twitter etc., not everyone has the ability or good judgment to know what defines a reasonable amount -- real addictions have been speedily acknowledged and treatment plans developed for those latched a tad too tightly to social media and their smart devices. And locally, laws were quickly passed to stop drivers from texting and phoning while operating their vehicles.

In the 1960's, Pop Art icon, Andy Warhol, spoke about the future as a time when we all would be "world-famous for 15 minutes" -- but Warhol never envisioned the power and speed of current communication methods, and he never said anything about the quality of our brushes with greatness.

The funny thing is that there still is a contingent that talks about quality, the appetite for quality and such, but as with social media, do the majority of smart-equipped folks have the ability to distinguish the gold from the dross? Or are we just hooked on hearing our own voices, seeing our own faces, and getting our two cents worth in at any cost? Does anyone stop spinning the dial long enough to consider the cost versus the true value? Is sheer volume of interest true value, just because you can measure it? Having a giant pile of something doesn't make it precious or necessary -- or does it?