Keep out of here!

Practising respect and consideration.

Do you know this? You are overtaking on the motorway, as there is not much traffic, you are relatively relaxed. 

Suddenly you see a vehicle in your rearview mirror, headlights on full. Before you know it, it fills the rearview mirror, hanging directly on your bumper. Your adrenaline and cortisol levels have skyrocketed.

The foreign driver has disregarded your safety distance. And you, you are now under stress and have to see how you can get yourself to safety. It’s no use knowing that this behaviour is indecent and punishable by law. In that case, the damage is on your head. 

Similar things happen daily in many families and workplaces, with psychological and physical assaults, bullying, and sexual assaults. This behaviour is enabled or supported by a culture in which the personal limit of the individual has a low value. The best countermeasure against the high number of assaults is to practice a culture of mutual respect and consideration. 

If you want to create a culture of respect and consideration in your family or work environment, the best place to start is with yourself. First, pay attention to where you unintentionally violate the territories of your fellow human beings. 

You too, will find something in your behaviour. For example, you don’t ask a colleague about his or her performance. Or, you walk through a door without knocking first or asking permission. It is now up to you to do this differently, from now on, as an example to everyone else. 

The best way to start promoting a respectful and considerate culture in companies is to hold a workshop with employees at all levels. This is where the problem is identified, and awareness is raised of the forms it takes and the consequential costs. If the participation of the entire staff is too costly, it is worthwhile to train bullying mentors internally.

 

In an introductory workshop, one can agree on practice tasks to keep everyone aware of the problem and how to change it. 

Two examples:

– Everyone asks permission first when they want to comment on someone else’s work or performance.

„Is it okay for you if I say something about your work/performance?“

„Is it okay if I give you feedback?“ 

– Everyone who wants to enter someone else’s workspace asks for consent first. 

At first, everyone thinks it a bit silly! But it doesn’t matter! It increases attention!