Understanding Respect

"Respect" is a term which has become obselete or "modified" in recent usage. On the street, at least by what I see on television, "Dissing" is a fighting offense. And "Dissing" is the way of saying "disrespecting" someone. I volunteer with an organization which visits a local middle school at least once a month. I am often left speechless by the behavior of some of the 12 to 14 year old girls. There seems to be a conspiracy among them to casade "disobedience" one from another causing delays in teaching and mentoring.

I see similar behaviors in telephone receptionists. I called a teaching hospital recently in an attempt to speak to a colleague and the male phone answerer answered the phone in such a "snarly"  manner, I had to confirm that I was calling the facility. When I tried to confirm this, I was asked, "Lady, don't you know where you are trying to call?"

I am totally frustrated with having to answer a dozen questions asked by a mechanical inquisitor, only to be asked the same question minutes later by a human info collector. The phrase "I'm sorry" has become a mantra of drones who do not want to be interrupted while they say memorized lines. Customer service no longer has the tenet that "the customer is always right". I have been told by "customer service" person, "Will you let me finish!"

In Problem Resolution 101, we are taught to LISTEN to the complaint, ACKNOWLEDGE the conplaint and ask HOW  CAN THIS BE RESOLVED. I am sure that this is not what is being taught in business schools these days.

Recently, I heard the discussion of Harvard Business School having to discharge 250 students for "cheating". There were some who were trying to figure out how to allow these young unscruplous people back into Harvard BECAUSE they have promise.