All of life is about working with and through other people.  There is no

success that you can obtain, sustain, or maintain by yourself, on your

own, or in a vacuum.   -George C. Fraser

I have found the above quote to be very true.  Regardless of the types of goals and successes I have been able to achieve, other people have always played a role in some way in my being able to reach them.  

Some time ago my niece, Imani, and I created a clever acronym which I keep in mind when interacting with people.  We were driving to Six Flags Amusement Park in Atlanta and I thought of a game that we played route. It was making up acronyms (only a motivational speaker, like myself, would come up with something like that and think of it as being fun!). We thought of several good ones. But one was really great - STOP = Stop Treating Others Poorly. By poorly we meant being inconsiderate, selfish, and unhelpful.

This newsletter's focus on being considerate is very timely.  Rudeness and its impact was the topic of  The Oprah Winfrey show recently.  Oprah's guest was P.M. Forni, author of Choosing Civility.  They discussed various disrespectful behaviors, many of which are commonly practiced by a majority of people. Oprah cited a recent survey that found 80% of Americans think rudeness is a serious national problem!  Oprah talked about how the quality of our lives and the quality of our relationships would improve if we all decided to be more considerate, courteous, and polite.

In my presentations on teamwork, customer service, and goal achievement, I always explain the reasons why treating people with respect is key to professional, personal, and entrepreneurial success.  The top three being:

1. People do their best work when they feel respected and valued.

2. There is always the possibility of positive ramifications.

3. Each of us wants to be respected and through the "Law of Karma" we increase that likelihood by being considerate of others.

I use STOP as an acronym in my programs so participants have an easy reminder for them to be respectful of the people they interact with at work, home, social gatherings and all areas of their lives. I encourage you to consider STOP as a cue for yourself to treat others well by deciding to stop:

1. Gossiping.

2. Being unkind.

3. Being unhelpful.

4. Acting superior.

5. Belittling others' ideas.

6. Disliking someone simply because others do.

7. Making fun of people who are different than you.

8. Withholding useful or valuable information from others.

9. Making "newcomers" feel like "outsiders."

10. Devaluing others' opinions and suggestions by not listening to them.

11. Refusing to share the credit with those who have helped or assisted you. 

12. Forgetting or deciding not to say "Congratulations," "Great Job," or other appreciative and complimentary comments to those who deserve hearing them.

13. Monopolizing conversations by only talking about yourself and being disinterested in others.

14. Refusing to say "I'm sorry" or "I apologize" when you know you should.

15. Thinking common courtesies like saying "Good Morning", holding the door for the person behind you, and giving up your seat to a person in need, are practices of the past.

16. Thinking and acting as if only the "important people" really matter.

17. Using the ideas of others and not giving them credit.

18. Telling people you will "be there for them" and then "not showing up."

19. Taking material possessions that do not belong to you.

20. Borrowing money, books, or anything of value and not returning it.

21. Being late and thinking it's OK for people to have to wait for you.

22. Talking about things that were shared with you in confidence.

23. Forgetting to say "please" and "thank you" whenever possible.

24. Telling jokes that may embarrass others.

25. Using words, tones, or gestures with anyone that would have gotten you reprimanded if you used them as a child with your mother, grandmother, or any adult family members!

If you do the opposite of the behaviors listed above, you will be well on your way to treating people with respect and you will be well on your way to success.

Wishing You the Best of Success

In All Your Endeavors!

Donna