We have all done it.
Said or reacted to something prematurely or without proper consideration.
Where the situation can often be funny and something that you can chuckle about forever after there are times when this is unfortunately not the case.
The challenge in this modern world is that so many things that the older generation deemed as normal behaviour may no longer be the case, equally, some of what is automatically accepted as normal by the younger generation is not at all understood by the older ones.
Why is this important? Well it’s simple.
In the workplace you probably have have a multi-generational hierarchy of the company.
Tolerating certain things and behaviours is required but not always accepted by some parties.
There is no right or wrong here, it is the basis of multiple factors.
So when you are going to say something you need to be sure that it won’t offend or be deemed offensive.
This is particularly harder for the older generation as the political correctness or woke mentality of our modern world is not something they grew up with.
Equally, younger people are not always as well mannered or socially well behaved in-line with what the older generation deems to be normal or acceptable.
The bottom line here is that change is a constant and people evolve. Culture, heritage, legacy and beliefs also shape the way we do or don’t interact with people.
It is extremely difficult to just be – so the lesson here is to think, pause and then rethink before you say or do something in a social situation where you do not know all the people in the group or meeting.
This is not just about political correctness, it is about not making a fool of yourself or creating an awkward situation.
I remember in my earlier days meeting a client for a marketing exercise and the first thing I pointed out was that we had to redo his logo as it was not nearly where it needed to be for this company.
The client explained to me that his daughter had drawn it and that he thought it was perfect.
We didn’t get the account, but I got a lot more, I got a lesson that would help me in the future and one that would ultimately save me from losing more work.
So, be aware of those around you and yourself and understand how you all do or potentially could fit into the discussion and ultimately work together.
BL
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