In this issue...

Feature Article
Investigating Ad Imagery
An interview with Paloma Díaz Soloaga

Women Transforming Culture: How They Do it Courtesy:  A Polite Gesture or Remark
By Earlane M. Stanfield

News, Recent and Upcoming Events

Download
Fall 2009 Newsletter

Previous Newsletters     Resources

Murray Hill Institute Newsletter
Fall 2009
Vol 7 No 1

WOMEN TRANSFORMING CULTURE: HOW THEY DO IT
Courtesy:  A Polite Gesture or Remark
By Earlane M. Stanfield

The other day I walked into a meeting and cheerily piped up “Good Morning”.  I received little or no response.  Everyone was already well into their workday, busily typing away in their BlackBerry devices, trying to stay on top of the emails and issues already being raised.  I wasn’t offended about the lack of response, but as the meeting ended and we all went back to our offices I couldn’t help but think how much better we would all have felt about the rest of the day if we spent even just a few minutes recognizing the people around us.

Courtesy or polite behavior seems to have been misplaced in both work and personal encounters.  People are not intentionally discourteous; we just have a tendency to relate to people and situations in an impersonal manner.  This can be seen not only in physical interactions, but also through emails and text messaging.  Computers and the internet do not care if someone is impersonal, but human beings do.  We might not recognize it’s missing, but we identify it when it’s there. 

Upon reflection, a “Good Morning” or “Thank You” or “Hello” can go a long way in both e-communication and physical interactions.  So I started to make a commitment to ensure that I start indicating on a text or IM message that I have to go.  Ensuring that the person on the other end knows that I am ending the conversation is important, just as I would on the phone .  These are polite gestures or actions that may not seem to make a world of difference but bring a sense of closure to the interaction.

When sitting at a luncheon or a meeting, I try to resist the urge to check the Blackberry, or try to simply look at the person across the table.  This enhances the moment, providing importance to it.  This generosity of time and attention provides the need for individuals to feel whole, not just like microprocessors or analysts, but like individuals who deserve recognition.

I realize that I couldn’t change my attitude all at once.  I could just work on one thing each week or each month.  Most of us know what is required to be courteous.  Our parents and schooling have usually provided us with a basic set of manners that we know instinctively, but still needs to be applied.  I am finding that these little changes I have made in my day-to-day interactions have brought me closer to my co-workers, managers and friends.  I think I’ll try to keep them for a while. 

Earlane M. Stanfield is a Senior Vice President and Manager, Equity Asset Management Administration, at Neuberger Berman, LLC.

Do you have an experience you would like to share about changing the culture in your workplace?  Email us at info@murrayhillinstitute.org