"How does it feel when someone does not use your name, gives you the cold shoulder, does not make eye contact, and only greets you with complaints?"
I have very mixed feelings about each of these scenarios. I don't really have a problem with anyone not using my name as long as they address me as something. I have a habit of calling people honey, sweetheart, babe, etc... I have been told it is unprofessional and I should train myself to call people by their names, so if someone were to call me something like that I would be okay. Now I have had people approach me and just start talking without addressing me and that bothers me. I usually do not acknowledge them for several minutes and then I will politely ask, "I'm sorry, were you talking to me?". I feel it is rude and very disrespectful. When someone gives me the cold shoulder, I simply walk away. I do wonder what I have done to upset them, but I do not question them about it. If someone does not wish to speak to me, then I assume they have a valid reason and I just hope and pray they will eventually come around to explaining to me their reason. I used to think when someone did not make eye contact with me that they were either hiding something or had a problem with me. Then I learned that in some cultures it is disrespectful to look a person straight in the eye. After that I try to read the situation. If it is someone that I have spoken to many times before and they wont look at me then I would feel like I have either I have done something horribly wrong or that they are up to something. When a person greets me with only complaints, I would begin to wonder if they were the type of person that only focused on the negative or if they ever saw the positive in anything. After a while, I am sure I would probably ask them if they ever had anything good to say. I am a firm believer that if you give nice you get nice. I don't wake up on a daily basis wondering what all is going to go wrong with the day.
20/20 Peggy Adams
ReplyDeletethoughtful answers. I have presented this scenario because I have met many teachers and directors that will treat the parents in this disrespectful manner. Your clients will be treated with the best you can bring because you have already considered these common issues and you have considered them well.