That Golden Rule Is Pretty Golden
What's your favorite rule? And now you're thinking, "What?! I hate rules!" Most of us are not too fond of rules. In high school there was a sign hanging in one of our big hallways that read, "No RUNNING in the hallway!" I hated that rule and I chose to break it a lot!! Got me sent to the principal twice.
A pretty darn cool rule is that Golden Rule: Treat others like you want to be treated.
When you think about it, the Golden Rule is really talking about great people skills!
People skills are the tools you use to communicate and interact with others. People with strong people skills are kind, caring, considerate and can relate to others, and communicate well. Are people skills valuable? YES!!! Business research has found that those who have strong people skills can make a significant more amount of money than those who have poor people skills! I have NO problem at all if my employer wants to pay me more money for having good people skills, however, I like good people skills first and foremost because of what they bring to others and to me. Think about how you feel when someone is kind to you. Or, how do you feel when someone goes out of their way to help you? On the other hand, how do you feel when you say good morning to someone and they just look the other way and walk right past you? I'm going to be really honest with you, when I show another person kindness, caring, and respect I feel good. Why? Simple, I chose to do what's right, treat another person with love, kindness & dignity.
I feel like COVID-19 has really opened my eyes to many things, one being the immense value of good people skills. A lot of people are going through challenging times during this global pandemic. I know I am. However, when others have been kind, caring and friendly to me, it's given me a bit of a boost of joy and a bit of hope. Here are some really valuable people skills:
1. A Positive Attitude--Life has a lot of ups and downs. I love it when I'm working with a co-worker who has the attitude of, "Hey, we got this. Let's go to work together and crush this..." I'm NOT a fan of the negative attitude. 2. Listen Attentively--To be a better listener look directly at the person speaking. My mom gave me this advice many years ago and man was she ever right! Too often, rather than being fully engaged in the conversation we're in right now, we get distracted, our eyes are on our phone, our Apple Watch or computer. Not good! To set yourself apart, attentively and enthusiastically listen to the human conversation happening right in front of you. 3. Team-Building Skills--Team players in the work-world have a tendency to become great working teammates and often times they become a team leader. I've worked with people who are selfish, uncaring, and arrogant. Pretty much no one wanted to work or even be around this kind of person. On the other hand, I have worked with co-workers which were all about the team! That's the kind of people I want to work with Monday through Friday!
