The December 2003 issue of Harvard Business Review, page 41, contains an interview with Miss Manners. The title of the article is "In Praise of Boundries: A Conversation with Miss Manners".

This article should be required reading for every employee in every business in America. Here are a few thought provoking ideas:

" It's taken us half a century to realize that when you remove everybody's inhibitions, you create more problems than you solve."

"When someone asked me how to be rude to his mother-in-law without getting caught, I replied that the only way to do that is by being extremely polite."

"Since the mid-twentieth century, this country has been ruled by the idea that manners are bad for children because they inhibit them. Well of course they do - if we're lucky."

"Learning American manners from American films is like learning traffic rules from watching car chases."

It has been my opinion for many years that the skill most of us lack upon entering the work force is that of interpersonal communication. Yes, we are plenty smart. And, yes, we get things done. Just think how much more effective we could all be if we took the time to communicate in a clear, courteous, succinct manner........
10:13:22 PM    comment []