Monday, January 5, 2009

On Management: Prompt & Courteous

Did you ever watch the Mickey Mouse club on television? If you grew up in the ‘50’s or ‘60’s, you probably did. The “theme” days stand out in my memory, and the one that had the biggest impact on me was Tuesday--“guest star day.” That was the day when all the Mouseketeers dressed up in their best clothes and, after inspection, were pronounced “neat and pretty.” I was impressed because I understood that this showed respect and courtesy to the “guest star.”

Those two qualities—courtesy and respect—have a positive impact on success in this or any other business, and I wonder if most of us realize that. That makes sense, when you really look at those two words. Courtesy comes from the French word court (to seek favor), and respect is derived from the Latin root specere, meaning to see. Obviously, treating people with either one of these two approaches would help create positive rapport. Using both of them undoubtedly would.

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