Being in the business or corporate sector is interesting. For the most part I have been in small to midsize companies where interacting with others is unavoidable.
The business world is a heartless bastard. It can be cruel and heartless. But that’s the business side. The people, if you get a chance to know them can be very fun to know. Some whose company you enjoy and then there are those you want no part of outside of the office.
One thing I have noticed, especially in large companies, when you say hello to someone in the hall, you would expect something in return. That’s not even the case in my most recent experience as a consultant.
Granted we are here to work and have a main goal of making the company money. Aside from that, when people work somewhere, does that mean manners go out the window? I have worked with people of all levels of income class. Some at the higher level, I’m not sure they have enough money to buy any manners. The younger or even lower levels don’t seem to have any manners either. What, you can’t use them as a tool on a daily basis to get what you need? Notice I said “daily”? When you use them only to attain a small specific thing, that “niceness” you display for that short bit, will gain you nothing eventually.
When I see someone in the halls, I generally say “hello”. When nothing comes back, even when the person looks me in the eyes. Pretty rude! Everyone says “we need to be kind to like one another.” Really? So when someone says “Hi” to you and you neglect to respond, how is that you being kind? Kindness is not some grandiose concept, it is very simple in its design.
I know it’s the business world, but damn! Even a small “hello” goes a long way!
The Loud Conservative 