It has been a great summer for me; a nice mix of productivity (in the form of getting some home renovations done), and traveling & relaxation. Part of my plan for this summer was to avoid the news as much as possible. I know that it is good to be informed and normally I like to have at least a general awareness of what is going on in the world. But every once in a while I like to take a break; the pause is usually good for my mental health. And up until recently I was able to do this for the most part, but it is hard not to take notice of what is happening in the U.S. and other places around the world.
Much has been written about recent events – there is plenty to say. I am not up to tackling all of the important pieces, there is however a small, but significant thread to this that has been niggling at me for some time now. A number of you have heard me say that I believe that one of the most important skills to have in today’s workplace – and in life generally – is to be able to get along respectfully with people who are wired differently than we are. For me, this is at the heart of professionalism, a healthy workplace, and is a skill that needs to be developed and nurtured.
Frankly, I am not sure how this applies exactly to events like the ones at Charlottesville. It seems almost trite to say something like “if we would just respect each other” in the face of such extreme behaviours. I am at somewhat of a loss to know what to say or think about such hatred and division – it appears way beyond simple respect at this point. Never-the-less…
My day to day work is often about by bringing divergent and diverse views together – trying to navigate strongly valued differences. I take this seriously and recognize that it can be a complicated and nuanced task. But all of these experiences have re-enforced the idea in me that basic respect shown to another person goes a long ways. The moment I believe that it is okay to demean or belittle the person who is different than I am is the moment I stop listening to them. It is the moment when it is easy for me to put them in a box and think, “I’ve got them pegged”. And it is the moment that I stop growing and refining my own views. It is a challenge to avoid this temptation.
I am not sure what to do with the extremes – they are deeply disturbing – we have seen too much of them recently and I am afraid they will not go away any time soon. And honestly, it is easy to feel somewhat powerless to do much about them. But maybe, just maybe, if we start with the ‘smaller’ things; our day to day interactions with colleagues and co-workers, with our families and friends, and with those strangers whom we interact with on a daily basis; maybe we can lay the foundation for a culture of respect that allows for meaningful conversations, discussions, and disagreements without the hatred and violence.
Perhaps I am naive in believing this, but doing so is also good for my mental health, and so I will hang on to it for as long as I can.
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R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Much has been written about recent events – there is plenty to say. I am not up to tackling all of the important pieces, there is however a small, but significant thread to this that has been niggling at me for some time now. A number of you have heard me say that I believe that one of the most important skills to have in today’s workplace – and in life generally – is to be able to get along respectfully with people who are wired differently than we are. For me, this is at the heart of professionalism, a healthy workplace, and is a skill that needs to be developed and nurtured.
Frankly, I am not sure how this applies exactly to events like the ones at Charlottesville. It seems almost trite to say something like “if we would just respect each other” in the face of such extreme behaviours. I am at somewhat of a loss to know what to say or think about such hatred and division – it appears way beyond simple respect at this point. Never-the-less…
My day to day work is often about by bringing divergent and diverse views together – trying to navigate strongly valued differences. I take this seriously and recognize that it can be a complicated and nuanced task. But all of these experiences have re-enforced the idea in me that basic respect shown to another person goes a long ways. The moment I believe that it is okay to demean or belittle the person who is different than I am is the moment I stop listening to them. It is the moment when it is easy for me to put them in a box and think, “I’ve got them pegged”. And it is the moment that I stop growing and refining my own views. It is a challenge to avoid this temptation.
I am not sure what to do with the extremes – they are deeply disturbing – we have seen too much of them recently and I am afraid they will not go away any time soon. And honestly, it is easy to feel somewhat powerless to do much about them. But maybe, just maybe, if we start with the ‘smaller’ things; our day to day interactions with colleagues and co-workers, with our families and friends, and with those strangers whom we interact with on a daily basis; maybe we can lay the foundation for a culture of respect that allows for meaningful conversations, discussions, and disagreements without the hatred and violence.
Perhaps I am naive in believing this, but doing so is also good for my mental health, and so I will hang on to it for as long as I can.
This entry was posted on Thursday, August 24th, 2017 at 4:28 pm and is filed under Comments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.