You Haven't Hit Your Peak Yet!

15People Skills

Ten Commandments for the office

It’s just business as usual, day in and day out. The fast lane gets faster. Competition for business and jobs gets meaner. The world gets smaller every day. You’ve dealt with a hundred coworkers, customers, vendors, and the irritating kid who works at the lunch counter. It’s time to go home and unwind.

The traffic jam gives you an opportunity to replay some of the day’s encounters. Regrettably, you wish you would have handled a few things quite differently. How can you make tomorrow better?

My mother always told me, “You don’t have to like everybody, but you do need to learn to get along.”

Over the years, I’ve developed a list, a “Ten Commandments for the Office,” which makes my commute home a little less guilt-ridden. Better yet, it’s improved my commute to the office. If I follow my own advice, I won’t have to spend my time apologizing for what I should have done in the first place. Try it out.

1. Be respectful. This includes respect for other people’s property, ideas, and time. Frankly, this commandment should about cover everything. If you are respectful of others, you can usually work out most issues—even if it’s agreeing to disagree. An added bonus is that when you treat others with respect, they are more inclined to return the favor.
2. Follow through. If you promise to do something, do it. No ifs, buts, or maybes. No excuses, no whining. You are only as good as your word. There will always be a place in this world for the ...