Six months ago, when COVID first hit the U.S., our eNews article was about showing respect for all those around us: essential workers onsite, remote workers, furloughed and laid off employees, managers, and everyone dealing with home schooling, tight quarters, and illness and death in their families.
Since then we’ve lived with six months of COVID disruption, watched or participated in the awakening of Black Lives Matter, seen devastating fires and storms, suffered the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and dreaded the upcoming election, no matter what side we’re on.
Many– if not all– of us have some amount of anxiety, depression, or trauma. And yet, as difficult as it may be, now is the time to live our values at work. To be patient with each other. To be kind. To keep a sense of humor.
I was in a meeting yesterday where a colleague was upset about his name being mispronounced on a video and demanded it be re-recorded. The woman who was responsible for recording—who had been working nights on the project—burst into tears. She was mortified about the mistake, and had no problem re-recording it, but she didn’t have to be yelled at.
No one is perfect. Especially now. If someone makes a mistake, be gentle with them. Be kind. Be patient. As we say in all our training courses: follow the Platinum Rule. Treat people the way they want to be treated. And in this case, the Golden Rule works too. Don’t you want to be treated gently right now?
What this means to you: Treating others well prevents lawsuits. It makes others feel better. It makes you feel better. And it makes the world a better place.
Updated 10-6-2020
Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.