Flying Thoughts: Turn Up. Be Polite. Work Hard.

My flying thought for today: Turn up, be polite, and work hard.

No matter what your position is within a business, you owe it to yourself, and to those you work with, to do these three things. That’s all. Just three things. These three rules will see you through not only your career, but other aspects of life too. To me, they’re non-negotiable.

Being polite costs nothing.

Trying your best costs nothing.

Making sure you show up (always on time) costs nothing.

It’s all down to respect. And these three simple rules show that you are respectful of others and of yourself too. They are the foundation of good relationships, both work relationships and private ones. It goes both ways. Those in higher positions than yourself should treat you the same way. They owe it to you to turn up, to be polite, and to work hard. What goes around, comes around.

Respect. Respect. Respect. I preach this consistently. No matter a person’s background, race, sexuality, gender, or any other arbitrary label you can think of, every person deserves your respect. That is one thing you can always guarantee from me. It is the one thing that I place at the forefront of every company, every business decision, every branch of my career. Businesses are about people. And people deserve respect.

The three non-negotiables are something my kids will tell you I drilled into them growing up, and for good reason. No matter where you are, what you’re doing, who you are, just following these three simple rules will see you on the right path.

We’ve all come across people, both in a work environment and in our private life, who struggle with these rules. Maybe they’re late all the time. Maybe they’re rude. Maybe they don’t put in any effort. Essentially, they immediately rub you the wrong way. There isn’t a solid foundation upon which to build a good relationship. Without a solid foundation, the whole thing comes crumbling down. You and I both know that.

But back to the business side of things; instilling these three non-negotiables in a work environment can cause a seismic shift in productivity, employee retention, and employee happiness/fulfilment. It has to work both ways. If you cannot show your workforce the basic respect that these three rules afford them, then you are in the wrong. You are the negative influence on your work environment. And maybe it’s time to take a good hard look at yourself.

I’ll leave you with this quote, which illustrates my point better than I ever could…

“Every human being, of whatever origin, of whatever station, deserves respect. We must each respect others even as we respect ourselves.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

?My three non-negotiables are a great place to start, if I do say so myself.

?Turn up. Be polite. Work hard. That’s it.