Treat People Better

There's an old quote that goes something like, "Always treat people like you want to be treated." One day, when I was talking to a parent about his son, he told me, "I always tell my boy, treat people better than you want to be treated." Upon further reflection, I couldn't find a flaw in that statement, so I used it over and over. It always works. As we continue our year of respect, #9 is appropriate.

9. Treat People Better Than You Want To Be Treated

“Do not allow other people to take away your voice. Your recourse should never be to remain anonymous.” – Rudnesky

I

 like to feel good.  Who doesn’t like to feel good?  What makes you feel good? A lot of what makes you feel good makes others feel good, too unless you are one of those miserable people that never should have gotten out of bed this morning. I made up my mind when I accepted the job as a teacher that I was going to be the kind of teacher I wanted as a student. When I became a principal, I made up my mind I was going to be the kind of principal that I wanted when I was a student, when I was a teacher, and when I was a vice principal.

Under an anonymous name, a group of eighth grade girls emailed me at the end of the year. They said they did not want to divulge their names for fear of retribution. They were trying to relay their perception of our leadership process, and how it excluded some kids. I encouraged them to come see me, and they did.

            That’s how I wrote the quote at the beginning of this chapter. People are sometimes stymied by what they perceive whether it is true or not. When we sat down and brainstormed, the girls realized that rarely was a student left out. We even found ways to include some students before they went home for the summer break.

Out of the Fish! Philosophy, Jostens Renaissance, 7 Habits, (and now the 8^th Habit) have evolved a lot of little things that make a big difference in our school. They can in your organization, too. A wise woman once told me that the job of principal was 85% public relations. Unfortunately, being the only building administrator it does not pan out that way for me.

Frequently, I stick up brightly colored notes on teachers’ computers or doors or boards that announce something special they do to make our school a great one. It works. I would have loved it if it happened to me when I was a teacher.

            Another thing that I could not stand as a teacher was the boring faculty meetings.  Many times I would rather stick my head in an ice bucket than attend those mundane, informational, ridiculous monthly requirements.  I remember administrators reprimanding teachers that would disrupt the meeting by talking or reading the newspaper or jiggling their car keys.  Hey, I have an idea. Don’t make it so darn lackluster. How are your staff meetings?

            I set out to make our staffulty (faculty and staff) meetings an event.  The purpose of the meeting is not information. The main objective of our meetings is to promote collegiality and have fun.  We throw in an occasional team building exercise, and we have something cooking!  Read the book FISH! or watch the FISH!  video.

            The book and the video are about having fun at your work. Don’t mistake having fun for steering away from your goals and objectives. You still have a mission statement and strategic planning, and in our school, the main goal is academics (not to mention the state of New Jersey requires character education, anti-bullying, physical fitness, extracurricular activities, technology integration, etc………….).

Do you want a job you hate going to or like going to?  When everyone treats everyone like they want to be treated, the whole dynamics change. You cannot become complacent, and you have to be creative. When was the last time you smiled when you thought about work?

“If people know you care, you can make that connection that was previously not possible.” – Rudnesky