Courtesy and Respect Get Tossed to the Side by Political Staffer
Posted by Molly DiBianca On June 21, 2009 In: Jerks at Work
Rude people--who needs 'em!?! Not me. My husband is a chef and restaurant-owner and regularly gets comments and complaints that, in my opinion, are totally insane. (For example, "This venison tastes . . . . dead."). Some customers will overreact to the most trivial issue--I've had a grown man scream (and I mean scream) at me because he didn't like his table. I told him that I'd be glad to move his group to a different table but he continued to scream hysterically--totally undeterred. The open demonstration of rage was shocking. I'll probably never forget it.
Politico has a remarkable story of unjustifiable rage. It's a great story to start the week, putting things in perspective and reminding us to treat others with respect and courtesy. The story is about a political staffer who lost control when she received an e-mail addressing her as "Liz" instead of "Elizabeth." Despite the offending party's repeated apology, the offended staffer was relentless in her attack. The exchange went on for 19 e-mails. It's very . . . insightful.
When you read the story, think of how terrible the exchange must have been for the "offender" and try extra hard to be extra nice even to those who try to push you to the brink.
Other posts about jerks at work:
Rude Employees Are Bad for Business
Women Bullies In the Workplace
New Conclusions on the Potential Costs of Workplace Bullying
