We are all familiar with that biblical injunction, friends, but since when have we stopped living that value?
Over the last year, I have been paying particular attention to how people have been speaking about other people in the workplace.
And I have been gob-smacked at the things I have heard people say about other people:
- He is a psychopath
- She is such a narcissist
- Yeah good luck with that new role – she is an alcoholic
- She only wants attention for herself
- He is only interested in it for himself – he does not care about his team
- There is something about her that I can’t put a finger on, but she irritates me. There is some bad juju there.
Sometimes, when the better angels of my nature are sleeping, I don’t challenge this. And this makes me complicit in this poisonous activity.
But other times, being terminally curious, I am always interested to know more. Alcoholic, you say? How many drinks? How do you know this? Did you actually see this with your own eyes? Is it a real problem or is this what you think?
Of course, under scrutiny, every single real-life comment above has failed to meet the basic codes of decency. They were patently false. More important, they were cruel, heartless comments made by people who believed the worst of others.
I won’t preach any further. All I will say is this. Friends, stop. You can be better. And I can be, too.
